» 

LIBRARV 

OF  THK 

University  OF  California. 

OIKX  OK                                                 ** 

Received       k-^^^^X^,            .  iSgl^ 
Accession  hi 0.    ^Oo'o^  .    Class  No. 

■^yss] 


m 

^^3 

^K 

1^^^ 

•fj 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Arcliive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/essayonprevailinOOcustPich 


-^^  sy^sd 


EVANGELIZATION 


OF  THE 


NON-CHRISTIAN     WORLD. 


/' 


PUBLICATIONS   BY   THE    SAME   AUTHOR. 


ETON  ADDRESSES  TO  KING  WILLIAM  IV.     1840. 
HAILEYBURY-OBSERVER  CONTRIBUTIONS.     1840-1842. 
CALCUTTA-REVIEW  CONTRIBUTIONS.     1845-1885. 
MANUALS   FOR  GUIDANCE   OF  NATIVE    OFFICIALS    IN    THE 

URDU-LANGUAGE.     1855  to  1859. 
PANJAB  REVENUE-MANUAL.     1865. 

REVENUE-LAW  OF  NORTH-WEST  PROVINCES  OF  INDIA.   1867. 
LAND-REVENUE-PROCEDURE  FOR  NORTHERN  INDIA.     1870. 
MODERN  LANGUAGES  OF  THE  EAST  INDIES.     1878. 
MODERN  LANGUAGES  OF  AFRICA.     1883. 
MODERN  LANGUAGES  OF  OCEANIA.     1887. 
MODERN  LANGUAGES  OF  THE  CAUCASIAN-GROUP.     1887. 
LANGUAGES  OF  THE  TURKI  BRANCH  OF  THE  URAL-ALTAIC 

FAMILY.     1889. 
LINGUISTIC  AND  ORIENTAL  ESSAYS.     Series  I.     1880. 
LINGUISTIC  AND  ORIENTAL  ESSAYS.    Series  II.     1887. 
LINGUISTIC  AND  ORIENTAL  ESSAYS.     Series  III.     1891. 
PICTURES  OF  INDIAN  LIFE.     1881. 
THE  ROMAN  CATHOLIC  SHRINES  OF  LOURDES,  SARAGOSSA, 

LORETTO,  Etc.     1885  and  1892. 
POEMS  OF  MANY  YEARS  AND  PLACES.     1887. 
THE  SORROWS  OF  AN  ANGLO-INDIAN  LIFE.     1889. 
NOTES  ON  MISSIONARY  SUBJECTS.     1889. 
BIBLE-LANGUAGES.     1890. 
CLOUDS   ON   THE   HORIZON,    OR   THE   VARIOUS    FORMS    OF 

RELIGIOUS  ERROR.     1890. 
BIBLE-TRANSLATIONS.     1890. 
AFRICA  REDIVIVA,  OR  MISSIONARY  OCCUPATION  OF  AFRICA. 

1891. 
ADDRESSES  ON  BIBLE  DIFFUSION.     1892. 


In  the  Press. 

THE  GOSPEL-MESSAGE. 

FEATURES,  WHICH    APPEAR    IN    ALL    THE    RELIGIONS    OF 
THE  WORLD  BEFORE  ANNO  DOMINI. 


ESSAY   ON   THE   PREVAILING   METHODS 


EVANGELIZATION 


OF  THE 


NON  -  CHRISTIAN     WORLD 


BY 

ROBERT   NEEDHAM   CUST,  LL.D., 

«/ 

AN    OBSERVER    IN    THE    FIELD,    A    MEMBER    OF    COMMITTEES,    AN    ALL-ROUND 

READER  OF  MISSIONARY-LITERATURE    IN    FIVE    EUROPEAN    LANGUAGES, 

AND  ONE,    WHOSE   HEART,    AND  INTELLECT,    HAVE  BEEN   DEVOTED 

TO    THE    SUBJECT    FOR    FIFTY    YEARS,    INDEPENDENT    OF 

CHURCH,    DENOMINATION,   OR    NATIONALITY, 


*•  Sunt  bona,  sunt  qucBdam  mediocria,  sunt  mala  plural 


■'  Ei/  Tu5  oTreipeiv  (l)    o   /xev    eireae  irapa  Trjv   oSop,    Kai    KareTraTtjOrj, 
"  (2)   erepoi/  KmeTreaeu  ctti  ttjj^  Trerpav, 
"  (3)   ^'^^pov  eTreaev  eV  fieaiv  rtou  uKavOwVy 
*'  (4)   erepov  eTreaev  eh  r^v  r^rjv  irjv  d<^a6rjv.^' 

Luke,  viii,  5-8. 


Arcis  divinoe  super  muros  humjlis  speculator  coeli  proesagia  prospicit,  et 
fideliter  denuntiat." 

LONDON : 
LUZAC  &  Co.,  46,  GREAT  RUSSELL  STREET, 

Publishers  to  the  India  Of^e,,^  -  -  ^^  ~^l>a 

'''    "tririVBRSiTT] 


^iipoiii^ 


c  s- 


irf0 


HERTFORD 
PRINTED   BY  STEPHEN  AUSTIN  AND  SONS. 


^^     . 


PRESENTED   BY   THE   AUTHOR 


JJ-ni  vfir«  1ty    of    nalifnrnifl 


WITH  THE  EARNEST  DESIRE,  THAT  THE  COUNSEL  AND  CRITICISM 

OFFERED   MAY  BE   ACCEPTED   IN   THE  SPIRIT,   IN  WHICH    IT  HAS 

BEEN     WRITTEN,     OF     LONG,     EARNEST,     AND     SINGLE-MINDED 

DEVOTION   TO   THE 


GREAT    SUBJECT. 

^/<^  OF  •mE"^>^ 
'tJHflVERSIT 


TO   THE 

MEMBERS  OF  THE  MISSIONARY-CONFERENCE 

OF  THE 

CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND, 

ASSEMBLED  IN  LONDON,  MAY,    1894, 
THIS  ESSAY 

IS 
DEDICATED, 


CONTENTS, 


PAGE 

Prefatory  Remarks       . .         . .         . .          . .          . ,         . .         . .          . .  I 

Good  Methods        lo 

?Part  e. 

Methods  not  Recommended      ..         ..         15 

I.   Secular            . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  16 

II.   Spiritual          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  27 

Part  HE 

Bad  Methods           ..         ..         42 

I.  Arm  of  the  Flesh 43 

1.  Interference  of  Civil,  Military,  or  Diplomatic,  Power     . .  43 

2.  Receiving    Endowments  from  Taxes    levied  from    non- 

Christians  . .         . .         . .          . .          . .          . .         . .  60 

3.  Intolerance  of  other  Religions,  or  other  forms  of  the  same 

Religion     . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  62 

4.  Destruction  (or  Appropriation)  of  Buildings  belonging  to 

another  Religion  . .          ....          . .          . .         . .  68 

5.  Making  a  Mission  a  handle  for  Political  Schemes . .         . .  Jo 

II.  Modes  of  Conversion            . .          . .          . .  72 

1.  Tribal,  not  Individual,  Conversion 72 

2.  Purchase,  and  Baptism,  of  Slaves  bought  from  the  Slave- 

dealer         73 

3.  Securing  Conversion  by  offer  of  Material  Advantages       . .  74 

4.  Omitting  Bible-Teaching  in  the  Vernacular           . .         . .  74 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

III.  Difficulties  attending  Conversion 76 

1.  Degradation,  or  Imperfect  Teaching,  of  the  Gospel          . .  76 

2.  Pagan  Notions  of  Nominal  Converts           . .         . .         . .  79 

3.  Imposing  New  Conditions  precedent  to  Baptism    . .         . .  80 

4.  Relapse  of  Converts  into  their  Old,  or  adoption  of  a  New, 

Religion 84 

5.  Low  Culture,   and   Extreme  Intellectual   Denseness,   of 

Converts 87 

6.  Questions  connected  with  the  Matrimony  of  Converts      . .  89 

7.  Credulousness  of  any  new  Story        . .         . .          . .         . .  92 

8.  Injurious   Influence    of   Western    Education    on    certain 

Classes  :    Is   Education   a  Necessary   Part  of  Evan- 
gelization, or  Civilization  ?         . .         . .         . .          . .  93 

9.  Evils  arising  from  raising  the  Material  Status  of  Converts  96 

10.  Objections  to  little  Barracks  for  Converts 99 

11.  Dwelling  too  strongly  on  the  Sins  of  non-Christian  World  100 

12.  Asserting,  that  Missionaries  have  Material  Help  from  God  105 

13.  Treating    with    Contempt  the   Parental   Rights  of  non- 

Christians  109 

14.  Necessity  of  Union  of  Denominations  into  one  National 

Church Ill 

15.  Certainty  of  Opposition  from  Old,  and  New,  Forms  of 

Religion 117 

IV.  The  Missionary- Home-Agency       . .  124 

1.  The  Board  of  Missions          . .  124 

2.  The  Association          . .         . .         . .         . .         . .         . .  125 

(fl).  Its  Relation  to  the  Church  and  Public         . .         . .  125 

{b).  Its  Relation  to  the  Mission-Field 135 

3.  The  Deputation          141 

4.  The  Financial  Department 147 

5.  The  Publications         159 

6.  Sensationalism 167 

V.  The  Mission  in  the  Field 170 

1.  The  very  small  Mission  without  resources 171 

2.  The  Solitary  Mission-Station 172 

3.  The  Self-supporting  Mission..         .,         ..         ..         ..174 

4.  {a).  The  Native  Agents         181 

{b).  Independent  Native  Church      ..         ..         ..         ..186 

5.  The  Unpaid  Agent 191 


CONTENTS.  IX 

PAGE 

VI.  The  Missionary- Agent           193 

1.  The  Untrained  Agent. .          ..          ..          ..          ..          ..  195 

2.  Not  gifted  with  the  Grace  of  Winning  Souls           . ,          . .  201 

3.  Failing  to  Master  the  Vernacular  Language           . .          . .  202 

4.  Losing  Heart,  and  Desponding        . .          . .          . .          . .  203 

5.  Quarrelsome     . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  204 

6.  Puffed  up  with  undue  Praise . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  206 

7.  Meddler  and  Busybody  ;  "  Allotrio-Episcopos  "  . .          ..  208 

8.  Marrying  Early            . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  210 

9.  Arrogant  to  the  Natives         . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  222 

10.  Devoid  of  all  Sympathy,  and  Love,   and  Justice,  to  the 

Natives       . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  227 

11.  Disloyal  to  the  Home-Committee     ..          ..          ..          ..  234 

12.  Defying  Laws  and  Customs  of  the  Country            . .          . .  235 

13.  Tilting  against  Legal  Native  Customs          241 

14.  Throwing   up    his   Vocation   for  his   own    Private    Con- 

venience    . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  243 

15.  Holding  Secular  Offices,  or  Honours           . .          . .          . .  248 

16.  Living  in   Society  of  Secular  White  Men,  and  Keeping 

away  from  Touch  of  the  People             . .          . .          . .  25 1 

17.  Offending  against   intra-Mission  Comity,  whether  Protes- 

tant, or  Romish     . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  252 

18.  Ridiculing  and  Speaking  111  of  non- Christian  Religions   ..  260 

19.  Immoral            ..          ..          ..          ..          ..          ..          ..  271 

20.  Importing  Western  Ideas . .          . .  272 

21.  Undertaking  Work  not  Belonging  to  his  Duty       . .          . .  275 

22.  Introducing  New  Fads,  such  as  Total  Abstinence,  etc.     . .  276 

23.  Insulting,  or    Making   Use    of,  non-Christian    Places   of 

Worship      . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . ,          . .  276 

24.  Preaching  to  Prisoners  in  Public  Gaols        278 

25.  Taking  up  New  Work  to  Neglect  of  Old    . .         . ,         . .  278 
Concluding  Remarks 280 

'Appendices        287 

I.  Plea  for  the  Poor  non-Christian  World 287 

II.  Five  Signs  of  a  True  Missionary     . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  291 

III.   Suggestions  for  Emendation  of  Missionary-Methods        . .          . .  292 

Alphabetical  Index  of  Parts,  Chapters,  and  Sections         295 


ERRATA. 


PAGE. 

LINE   FROM  TOP.                    READ. 

lO 

I 

course  for  cause. 

149 

2 

prayers  for  pages. 

173 

2 

has  for  have. 

216 

40 

occupations  for  occupation. 

271 

14 

failure  for  failures. 

276 

17 

liquors  for  liqueurs. 

283 

22 

neo-Zoroastrianismyorneo-Zoroastrian. 

283 

31 

clings  for  cling. 

PREFATORY    REMARKS. 


I  commence  with  quotations  from  esteemed  authors : 

*'  He  is  the  truest  friend  of  any  institution,  who  calmly  but 
'*  fearlessly  points  out  its  defects  and  its  aberrations  from  the 
**  way  of  truth.  The  ostrich-policy  of  shutting  one's  eyes  to 
"  patent  facts  may  answer  for  a  time,  but  in  the  end  it  is 
"  disastrous.  *  Open  rebuke  is  better  than  secret  love,'  when 
"  rebuke  is  needed.  The  only  essential  qualification  is,  that 
"  the  rebuke  or  protest  be  uttered  in  a  brotherly  and  Christian 
"  spirit." 

•*  When  the  current  of  popular  opinion  seems  to  be  running 
"  very  strongly  in  one  direction,  many  are  tempted  to  follow 
"  the  easy  course  of  swimming  with  the  stream.  This  may  be 
"  pleasant  and  profitable,  but  it  cannot  be  right.  There  are 
"  times,  when  even  those,  who  most  dislike  controversy,  may  feel 
•*  it  a  duty  to  speak  if,  as  in  the  present  instance,  they  are  not 
"  invited  to  do  so.  If  a  cause  seems  to  them  to  be  a  true  one, 
"  it  is  mere  pusillanimity  to  let  the  love  of  personal  ease  prevail, 
**  and  to  suffer  it  to  be  lost  by  acquiescence  and  default." 

Some  are  content  to  swim  with  the  tide,  and  never  oppose 
abuses:  In  my  youth  I  knew  Clergymen,  who  held  three  or 
four  livings,  and  Deaneries  as  well :  they  used  to  say  that  it 
would  last  their  time :  some  have  the  misfortune  to  see  further 
ahead,  and  to  be  about  ten  years  in  advance  of  their  colleagues. 
Erasmus  was  one  of  these:  "Bona  verba  quaeso"  is  the  motto 
of  the  compiler  of  a  Missionary-Report :  it  is,  in  fact,  of  the  same 
genus  as  an  election-placard  :  Euphemism  supplies  the  place  of 
historical  completeness,  or  intelligent  criticism,  for  such  might 
give  offence  to  some  supporter,  or  wound  the  feelings  of  the 
relatives  of  the  individual  Missionary,  whose  conduct  is  dis- 
approved of. 

It  is  complacently  observed  in  some  Reports,  that  in  such 
matters  the  men  and  women  actually  engaged  are  the  most 
competent  judges  of  their  own  policy  and  proceedings.     I  took 


(     2     ) 

the  trouble  to  make  an  analysis  of  the  Reports  of  the  six  great 
Societies  in  1889-90  and  subsequent  years.  No  one,  who  had 
read  these  Reports,  would  agree  in  the  above  opinion,  for  the 
men  and  women  in  the  Field  of  the  same  Mission  do  not  agree 
with  each  other.  Those,  who  overlook  a  game  of  chess  with  a 
knowledge  of  the  rules  of  the  game,  are  better  judges  of  the 
policy  and  skill  of  the  players  than  those  who  actually  play.  No 
class,  and  no  individuals,  have  such  a  narrow  view  of  human 
affairs  as  the  Missionary.  The  difference  of  language,  which  he 
has  acquired  in  his  youth,  binds  him  for  ever  to  one  Field,  one 
set  of  opinions,  one  environment  of  experiences  and  ideas. 
How  wonderfully  improved  would  be  the  Chinese  Missionary, 
if  he  could  take  a  term  of  three  years  in  Africa !  How  small 
would  seem  the  Opium-burden,  which  presses  so  heavily  upon 
him,  when  replaced  by  Cannibalism,  Witchcraft,  Slave-trade, 
Murder,  and  entire  Nudity  of  both  sexes. 

In  my  old  age,  as  I  sit  musing  in  my  Library,  reflecting  on 
God's  gracious  deaHngs  with  me  during  the  last  half-century, 
I  recall  this  one  of  His  greatest  blessings,  that  there  passes 
across  the  mirror  of  my  memory  a  long  procession  of  spiritual 
heroes,  a  stately  band,  of  many  of  whom  I  have  grasped  the 
hand,  while  their  thoughts  and  their  utterances  ring  still  in 
my  ears :  they  have  been  of  all  denominations  of  Christ's  Church 
from  Rome  to  Moscow,  from  Canterbury  to  Geneva :  and  each 
one  of  them  seems  to  look  at  me,  as  he  passes  by,  recalling 
some  opinion  given  not  without  profit,  some  nail  driven  well 
down  by  the  Grace  of  God  into  the  tablets  of  my  Spiritual  Life. 

My  main,  my  single,  desire  in  these  pages  is  to  point  out 
whatever  appears  to  me  entirely  wrong,  or  defective,  in  the 
Methods  in  vogue,  and  suggest  some  improvement.  It  is 
extremely  difficult  to  write  on  such  matters  without  giving 
offence.  I  have  endeavoured  to  guard  against  this  by  mostly 
making  general  statements.  Baxter  in  his  Preface  to  the 
**  Reformed  Pastor"  writes:  "I  have  excepted  those,  who  are 
not  guilty,  and  therefore  hope  that  I  have  injured  none." 
Like  all  things  human  every  department  of  Mission-work  is 
susceptible  from  year  to  year  of  improvement.  No  Mission 
has  obtained  any  degree  of  perfection,  however  well  satisfied 
the  middle-aged  Missionary  may  feel :  the  moral  machinery  of 
the  world  is  always  advancing. 

I  have  read  and  annotated  the  Annual  Reports  of  a  certain 
number  of  Societies  for  a  great  many  years  :  I  think  that  I 
know  one  from  the  other  without  reference  to  the  title-page  : 
I  am  obliged  to  admit,  that  the  art  of  writing  such  Reports  has 
not  been  acquired  yet :  the  style  and  execution  of  all  leaves 
much  to  be  desired.  I  read  them,  as  it  were,  medicinally,  and 
a  great  deal  goes  against  my  intellectual  stomach.    I  am  obliged 


(     3     ) 

to  ask :  Is  the  writer  dealing  with  actual  facts  ?  If  so,  why  does 
he  write  in  such  a  non-natural  way,  and  interlard  the  remarks 
with  so  many  quotations  from  Holy  Writ,  and  such  sensational 
emotional  padding  ?  Is  the  Report  merely  a  pious  dream  like 
the  '*  Pilgrim's  Progress  ?"  However,  I  shall  come  to  this  subject 
in  Chap.  IV.  of  Bad  Methods.  I  have  for  many  years  helped  to 
rule  vast  Provinces  in  British  India  with  Millions  of  inhabitants, 
and  made  Annual  Reports  on  Judicial  and  Revenue  matters  to 
the  Government :  what  profit  could  there  have  been,  if  Reports 
had  been  made  of  a  non-real  type  with  such  sensational  para- 
graphs ?  I  conclude,  that  these  Reports  are  fashioned  to  catch 
the  taste  of  a  peculiar  emotional  class :  in  some  quarters  a  hit 
against  the  Church  of  Rome,  the  Ritualist,  or  the  Opium-Trade 
are  essential  ingredients  calculated  to  draw  subscriptions,  or 
perhaps  the  absence  of  such  remarks  would  injure  the  Society 
financially. 

Since  the  idea  suggested  itself  to  me  of  compiling  this 
volume,  I  have  carefully  gone  over  a  vast  number  of  Pamphlets, 
Newspaper-cuttings,  and  Missionary  Memoranda,  which  I  had 
accumulated  during  the  last  fifteen  years.  Sermons  of  a  chance 
Irish  Bishop,  called  to  preach  an  Annual  Sermon  entirely  devoid 
of  first-hand  knowledge,  the  usual  arguments  being  trotted  out : 
Essays  by  the  single-Mission-Enthusiast,  who  tries  to  bring  all 
the  multiform  phenomena  of  the  Kingdom  of  Christ  into  his 
own  narrow  lens:  Books  by  one-sided  devotees,  who  take  a 
partial  and  partizan  view,  who  denounce  all  the  feeling  after 
God,  if  haply  they  could  find  Him,  evidenced  by  the  poor  heathen, 
of  which  Paul  speaks  so  tenderly  at  Athens  ;  who  describe  British 
India,  or  China,  as  the  Kingdom  of  Satan,  oblivious  of  the 
morals  of  the  Cities  of  London  and  Paris.  Such  books  do  infinite 
mischief.  We  know  too  well  by  the  example  of  British  India, 
that  the  population  of  that  Empire  actually  increases  at  the  rate 
of  three  Millions  annually,  the  vast  majority  of  whom  are  non- 
Christians,  while  the  whole  Christian  fold,  Syrian,  Romish,  and 
Protestant,  do  not  reach  much  beyond  two  Millions  and  three- 
quarters. 

The  usual  arguments  brought  in  the  public  Press  against  the 
present  system,  or  absence  of  system,  is  that  (i)  the  Missionary 
associations  are  divided  among  themselves,  and  abuse  each 
other  to  the  natives  of  the  Region  ;  (2)  they  require  comforts, 
and  luxuries,  and  furloughs,  and  pensions,  and  wish  to  live  like 
secular  men  ;  (3)  they  wildly  attack  the  whole  Mahometan  and 
Hindu  system  instead  of  those  parts,  which  are  vulnerable  :  in 
their  ignorance  they  knock  their  heads  against  that  substratum 
of  Divine  and  Eternal  Truth,  which  lies  at  the  foundation  of  all 
systems  of  adoration  of  the  Divinity  by  poor  weak,  ignorant, 
sinful  man  ;    (4)  they  dwell  too  much  upon  the  miracles  of  the 


(     4     ) 

Gospel-Epoch,  while  they  have  not  that  power  themselves ; 
(5)  instead  of  adopting  the  example  of  Paul  and  dwelling  on  the 
essentials  they  at  once  go  into  details,  and  thus  perplex  their 
hearers.  These  are  not  my  arguments,  but  I  take  notice  of 
them  as  uttered. 

Dean  Stanley  in  one  of  his  sermons  in  the  Abbey  on 
Christian  Missions  in  1873  remarks  on  "the  necessity  of  a 
'*  vigilant  endeavour  to  repress  the  exaggeration,  to  denounce 
**  the  fallacies  and  inaccuracies,  which  infect  even  the  best 
"  attempts  of  narrow  and  fallible,  though  good  and  faithful, 
"  servants  of  the  Lord." 

Bishop  Westcott  remarks  "that  it  is  a  part,  and  a  painful  part, 
"  of  the  work  of  the  wise  to  control  and  correct  the  folly  of  the 
'*  good."  In  no  departments  of  good  work  is  this  more  evident 
than  in  the  work  of  Evangelization. 

Sometimes  in  a  Report  there  comes  a  sentence  or  two,  which 
go  straight  to  the  heart:  I  quote  from  a  Church  Missionary 
Society  Report : 

"  It  is  in  such  circumstances  as  the  foregoing,  that  we  need 
"  the  prayers  of  the  people  of  Christ  at  home.  I  often  think, 
"  that  Missionaries  get  a  great  deal  of  false  sympathy.  I  could 
"  write  pages  of  so-called  Missionary  hardships — mouldy  bread, 
"  lack  of  provisions  when  on  tour,  difficulties  in  travelling,  etc.  : 
"  these  things  are  nothing  for  Christ's  sake,  and  only  add  a 
**  charm  to  Missionary  life.  We  need  the  prayers  of  the  people 
**  at  home  for  the  Native  Christians  themselves,  in  order  that 
"  they  may  lead  pure  and  holy  lives.  They  need  greatly  the 
*'  Holy  Spirit's  power  to  sanctify  them ;  and  also  the  moral 
"  character  and  fibre  of  real  soldiers  of  Christ,  in  order  that  they 
"  may  not  hinder  those,  who  would  come  into  the  Kingdom  of 
"  God." 

"  There  are  diversities  of  gifts,  but  the  same  Spirit,  and  there 
"  are  differences  of  administrations,  but  the  same  Lord,  and  there 
"  are  diversities  of  operations,  but  it  is  the  same  God,  which 
**  worketh  all  in  all." — I  Cor.  xii,  4-6. 

I  am  led  to  reflect  upon  the  phenomena,  presented  by  a 
survey  of  the  Missions  of  the  World.  It  is  so  strange  to  find 
men  convinced,  that  their  own  system  is  not  only  the  right  one, 
and  the  best  (the  best  for  them  no  doubt),  bu/  the  only  one,  and 
yet  there  is  an  extraordinary,  a  startling,  diversity  of  practice. 
In  some  Associations  the  Missionary  is  petted,  spoilt,  encouraged 
to  early  matrimony,  involving  wanton  expenditure  of  sacred 
funds ;  in  others  I  find  celibate  Brotherhoods  and  Sisterhoods 
with  the  germs  of  great  evils  of  a  contrary  tendency.  In  other 
quarters  I  find  the  Missionary,  wife,  and  little  children,  turned  off 
in  a  strange  country,  in  a  tropical  climate,  to  support  themselves 
by  labour,  such  as  teaching  languages,  keeping  a  store,  digging 


(    s    ) 

yams  and  potatoes,  or,  as  an  American  paper  bluntly  puts  it : 
**  Root,  Hog,  or  die,"  and  they  do  die,  and,  when  an  additional 
baby  is  born,  it  is  counted  as  an  additional  Missionary.  Another 
strange  variety  is  the  Knight-errant,  without  even  a  knowledge 
of  the  language,  starting  alone  on  a  camel,  or  horse,  to  deliver 
God's  message  through  an  interpreter,  himself  a  heathen,  and 
then  passing  on.  The  great  Associations  have  large  resources, 
collected  at  a  heavy  percentage  by  an  elaborate  organization : 
they  spend  money  freely,  and  send  out  men  freely,  often  unsancti- 
fied,  and  untested  men,  and  sometimes  gross  failures.  Sometimes 
Missionaries  are  tied  to  a  shibboleth  of  dogma,  and  a  confession 
of  Church-Government ;  at  other  times  there  is  an  amalgam 
of  dogma,  and  a  free-hand  of  Church-Government.  Some 
allow  their  agents  fixed  subsistence-allowances,  and  subsidiary 
provision  for  Rent,  Locomotion,  Disablement,  and  Children. 
Others  make  a  boast,  that  they  do  not,  that  the  Missionary 
must  make  his  own  private  resources  go  as  far  as  possible,  and 
that  he  will  get  a  fractional  portion  of  the  income  of  the  Society, 
varying  each  year,  and  nothing  of  any  kind  to  fall  back  upon. 

Dr.  G.  Smith  in  his  ''Conversion  of  India"  quotes  from  an 
open  letter  from  the  Missionary  Society  in  S.  India  the  following 
words : 

"  Since  the  Spirit  of  God  still  abides  in  the  Church,  it  is  not 
"  shut  up  by  a  mere  imitation  of  Methods  used  in  bygone  days 
"  by  good  men.  God  is  with  us  now,  as  He  inspired  our  fathers : 
*'  He  places  us  in  new  and  untried  conditions,  that  we  may 
"  learn  new  lessons,  and  apply  new  Methods.  There  is  no 
"  finality,  or  rigidity,  in  the  Methods  now  adopted."  I  entirely 
agree  with  this  noble  sentiment,  but,  when  an  untried  Missionary 
band  descend  from  Colorado,  U.S.,  on  the  West  Coast  of  Africa, 
or  China,  I  ask  them  to  make  use  of  sanctified  common-sense, 
sweet  reasonableness,  and  collected  experience. 

What  is  my  qualification  for  putting  pen  to  paper  ?  Just  fifty 
years  ago,  in  the  Spring  of  1844,  Daniel  Wilson,  Bishop  of 
Calcutta,  taught  me  my  lesson  in  Missions :  I  had  received  /^8o 
as  a  prize  for  proficiency  in  some  language,  and  I  wanted  to 
invest  it,  and  the  Bishop  showed  me  how  to  do  it  to  advantage 
by  distributing  it  among  Missions :  it  was  the  best  investment 
that  I  ever  made,  for  from  the  subject  of  Evangelization  I 
have  had  joy,  interest,  and  occupation,  for  half  a  century:  in  the 
Indian  Field  for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  inspection  of  Missions  in 
Turkey,  Palestine,  Egypt,  N.  Africa,  in  the  Committees  of  many 
Societies  in  London,  on  the  platform,  in  the  Press,  making 
the  acquaintance  of  scores  of  good  men,  not  necessarily  wise 
men,  as  things  of  this  world  go.  I  have  had  access  to  the 
periodicals  and  literature  of  all  Missions,  English  or  Foreign, 
Protestant  or  Romish,  in  the  four  modern  languages  of  Europe, 


(     6     ) 

to  which  must  be  added  for  the  Church  of  Rome,  Latin. 
Besides  all  this  I  had  the  advantage  of  having  been  a  Ruler  of 
Millions  for  many  years,  and  living  alone  among,  and  loving,  my 
people,  speaking  their  language  as  my  own  :  1  knew  all  about 
their  customs  and  languages,  and  religious  beliefs,  and  sympa- 
thized with  the  latter,  as  their  expression  of  their  belief  in  their 
Creator :  all  the  stories  of  Missionaries  about  the  multiplicity 
of  gods  among  the  Hindus  is  mere  nonsense  picked  up :  their 
number  of  real  divinities  is  limited :  as  for  the  Mahometan  it 
goes  without  saying,  that  he  is  a  stern  monotheist.  I  became 
aware  of  the  tranquil  happy  life  in  the  scattered  Indian  villages. 
My  first  district  was  a  conquest  made  in  the  campaign,  in  which 
I  had  taken  part  in  1845-46,  and  my  first  duty  was  to  tell  my 
people,  who  had  never  seen  a  white  man  before,  that  I  should 
not  allow  any  burning  of  widows,  killing  of  daughters,  and 
burying  alive  of  lepers :  as  to  Caste,  and  Child-Marriage,  and 
the  re-marriage  of  the  widows,  whom  we  had  saved  from  the 
funeral-pile,  that  was  left  to  the  people  themselves :  they  were 
an  ancient  and  civilized  people  at  a  time,  when  the  Britons  and 
the  Anglo-Saxons  were  barbarians:  the  population  has  increased 
by  so  many  Millions  during  the  last  half  century,  that  child- 
marriage,  and  the  non-marriage  of  widows,  does  not  seem  to 
have  had  a  prejudicial  effect  on  the  number  of  births. 

Up  to  this  day  I  am  totally  opposed  to  the  proselytizing  of 
members  of  the  Romish,  Greek,  Asiatic,  or  African,  Christian 
Churches  :  and  till  ten  years  ago  I  took  no  interest  in  the  conver- 
sion of  the  Jews  :  "they  have  Moses  and  the  Prophets,  let  them 
hear  them."  I  have  twice  traversed,  at  the  interval  of  a  quarter 
of  a  century,  the  length  and  breadth  of  Palestine  from  Dan  to 
Beersheba,  and  during  my  last  tour  in  1885  it  was  brought  home 
to  me,  that  the  conversion  of  the  whole  non-Christian  world 
would  be  as  nothing,  if  God's  chosen  people  still  remained 
outside  the  fold :  so  on  my  return  I  joined  the  London-Jews 
Society,  spoke  for  it  at  the  Annual  Meeting  in  Exeter  Hall,  and 
have  since  visited  every  one  of  the  Mission-Fields  except  that 
in  Persia :  I  thus  have  tried  to  complete  my  knowledge  of  this 
solemn  subject :  and  the  question  is  brought  home  to  me,  why 
after  the  lapse  of  eighteen  centuries  only  a  fraction  of  the  world 
has  been  brought  to  Christ,  and  I  repeat  in  defiance  of  all  the 
folly  uttered  by  enthusiasts,  that  the  great  mass  of  non-Christians 
is  numerically  larger  at  the  close  of  this  century  than  it  was  at 
the  commencement,  and  that  in  addition  to  the  old  dead  Book- 
Religions,  which  date  before  the  Christian  era,  and  the  great 
Religion  of  Islam,  which  has  come  into  existence  in  modern 
times  long  after  the  Christian  era,  there  is  now  a  new  birth  of 
Religious  conceptions,  inculcating  the  highest  morality,  free 
from  gross  idolatry,  not  enslaved  to  Priesthoods,  with  a  certain 


(     7     ) 

amount  of  spirituality  in  their  essence,  which  are  a  hundredfold 
more  dangerous  enemies  than  the  old  moribund  forms  of  worship. 
There  is  room  for  great  humiliation  in  the  Christian  Churches. 
Where  is  boasting  ?  it  is  excluded :  there  is  not  one  single  self- 
supporting  Christian  Native  Church  in  any  one  of  the  four  non- 
Christian  Divisions  of  the  World,  free  and  independent  of  the 
spiritual  domination  of  the  alien  European  and  American.  The 
fallen  Churches  of  Asia  and  Africa  were  not  very  spiritual,  but 
still  in  spite  of  persecution  and  oppression  they  have  kept  their 
candlestick  lighted,  and  depend  for  aid  on  no  foreign  Power, 
while  in  the  event  of  the  strong  political  Power  of  Europe  and 
America  being  withdrawn  the  great  majority  of  the  new  embryo 
Churches  would  be  swept  away,  as  has  happened  to  the  Church 
of  Rome  in  S.  America  and  W.  Africa. 

My  Essay  is  ostensibly  on  **  Methods,"  but  I  have  been 
constrained  to  include  certain  features,  which  would  be  more 
accurately  classed  as  ''Environments"  than  "Methods;"  but 
it  is  necessary,  that  attention  should  be  drawn  to  these,  for 
owing  to  the  euphemistic,  emotional,  and  semi-poetical,  style, 
adopted  in  the  Reports  and  periodical  literature,  the  harsh 
phenomena,  which  surround  the  work  of  the  Missionary,  are 
obscured  from  sight :  it  is  my  desire,  that  the  work  should  be 
understood  as  it  is:  my  quotations  are  numerous  and  from 
Missionary-Reports.  At  present,  if  anyone  really  desired  t  o 
know  what  the  prospects  of  the  warfare  were,  he  would  never 
gain  it  from  the  one-sided  Reports,  and  Publications,  of  different 
Societies,  and  the  authors  of  some  of  the  volumes  on  the  general 
subject  are  so  sanguine,  so  full  of  worship  of  their  particular 
Missionary-hero,  they  burn  so  much  incense  to  their  own  Society, 
they  are  so  unwilling,  or  fearful,  to  state  the  failures,  the 
difficulties,  the  gross  errors,  that  they  are  like  the  prophets, 
who  deceived  the  Kings  of  Israel  and  Judah.  I  have  tried  to 
do  my  duty  as  a  free-lance,  a  careful  student,  and  one  abso- 
lutely devoted  for  a  lifetime  to  the  one  great  subject  of  Evan- 
gelization. 

Far  be  it  from  me  to  say,  that  because  the  number  of  non- 
Christians  is  now  greater  than  it  was  before  Missions  commenced, 
that  Missions  are  failures  :  nothing  of  the  kind  :  for  my  own 
belief  is,  that  the  Truth  of  the  great  cause  is  evidenced  by  the 
large  degree  of  success  vouchsafed  in  spite  of  the  very  imperfect, 
and  often  very  injudicious.  Methods,  adopted  by  a  succession  of 
men,  all  of  whom  have  been  good,  but  few  only  have  been  wise. 
I  have  seen  the  tree  grow  in  British  India,  and  the  Turkish 
Empire,  under  my  own  eyes  :  If  the  Lord  had  not  been  on  our 
side,  the  event  would  have  been  different.  Besides,  I  am  entirely 
opposed  to  the  counting  up  of  converts  made,  and  the  numbering 
of  baptisms :  we  have  done  our  duty,  if  we  sow  the  seed  in  well- 


(     8     ) 

prepared  ground :  it  is  from  the  Lord  that  comes  the  increase. 
I  think  that  I  heard  last  year  at  an  Annual  Meeting  of  a  Society, 
that  they  had  not  baptized  one  soul,  and  being  a  brotherhood 
and  sisterhood,  had  not  the  false  comfort  of  reporting,  that  they 
had  baptized  their  own  children :  in  fact  their  font  was  dry. 

It  is  such  a  pity,  that  in  all  treatises  a  certain  number  of 
stock-names  of  Statesmen,  or  Military,  and  Civil,  Officials,  are 
paraded,  without  stating  that  some  have  been  dead  thirty  or 
fifty  years,  that  their  experience  was  limited  to  one  Field  only, 
and  possibly  to  one  Mission,  and  that  their  remarks  were  made 
in  the  course  of  an  Exeter-Hall-Speech,  or  some  occasion,  when 
all  criticism,  however  friendly,  was  out  of  question  :  if  quotations 
are  to  be  made,  let  them  be  from  the  utterances  of  qualified 
persons  in  the  Missionary  Conferences,  or  carefully  composed 
Essays  prepared  for  print  and  criticism  by  others. 

Even  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  which  is  very  emotional, 
very  conservative,  and  rarely  looks  outside  the  door  of  its  own 
Committee-room,  seems  in  the  appended  quotation  to  feel  a 
shaking  of  its  dead  bones,  and  to  hear  a  sound  of  a  going  in 
the  trees,  and  it  expresses  itself  in  the  sweet  Doric  dialect  of  the 
Society  with  a  copious  use  of  the  Divine  Name,  and  semi- 
poetical  gushing  phraseology : 

**  God  has  owned  old  Methods  of  work.  Destroy  them  not, 
"  for  there  is  a  blessing  in  them.  In  the  light  of  accumulated 
•*  experience,  and  under  the  influence  of  new  environments,  the 
"  old  Methods  have  been,  and  will  be,  improved.  God  forbid 
**  that  they  should  be  abandoned. 

"  The  call  has  come  for  new  Methods  and  fresh  experiments. 
'*  That  call  can  neither  be  lightly  disregarded,  nor  lightly 
**  obeyed.  The  Committee  is  not  frightened  by  the  outcry 
**  against  new  departures.  Rather  they  thank  God,  that  the 
"  increased  interest  at  home,  and  the  growth  of  opportunities 
*•  abroad,  necessitate  new  departures.  But  all  such  new 
"  departures  must  be  jealously  safeguarded  by  rigid  adherence 
**  to  the  old  principles,  which  from  its  foundation  have  been  the 
*•  glory  and  strength  of  the  Society. 

•*  In  view  of  the  rapidly  rising  tide  of  intelligent,  self-conse- 
"  crating,  interest  at  home,  and  in  view  of  the  marvellous 
"  opening  out  of  the  Field  abroad,  the  Committee  is  deter- 
'*  mined,  God  helping  them,  to  be  found  ready,  first  for  the 
**  consolidation  and  strengthening  of  existing  work,  then  for 
**  further  expansion,  as  God  shall  provide  duly  qualified  workers. 

**  With  the  Master's  commission,  *  Go  ye  into  all  the  world, 
"  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature,'  ringing  in  their 
"  ears,  the  Committee  would  say,  *  God  forbid  that  we  should 
*•  surrender  the  high  privilege  of  holding  ourselves  in  readiness 
"  to  utilize  to  the  utmost  all  the  evangelical  and  evangelistic 


(     9     ) 

"  fervour  and  zeal,  which  God  the  Holy  Spirit  is  awakening  in 
*'  the  Church  of  England  I ' 

*'  The  constitution  of  the  Society  anticipated  boundless 
"  development  in  the  demands  made  upon  her.  There  is  no 
**  necessity  to  limit  that  development.  Methods  must  be 
'*  adopted  to  cope  with  the  growing,  worldwide  demands, 
"  which  in  God's  mercy  are  being  made,  and  the  laws  of  the 
**  Society  permit  of  this  being  done.  The  Committee  have  had 
"  under  consideration  various  schemes  for  easing  the  admitted 
"  strain  ;  and  are  satisfied  that  the  advance  made  is  as  rapid  as 
"  is  consistent  with  that  due  deliberation,  which  alone  can 
"  secure  continuity  of  principle  in  administration  ;  and,  above 
**  all,  continuity  of  those  great  evangelical  and  spiritual  prin- 
**  ciples,  which  permeate  the  whole  work  of  the  Society.  For 
"  themselves,  their  prayerful  aim  will  be,  in  dependence  on  the 
"  Spirit  of  God,  to  have  the  control  so  regulated  and  the  pro- 
**  cedure  so  ordered  that,  whatever  the  demand  be,  they  may 
*'  be  enabled  to  respond  efficiently  and  promptly." 

No  all-round  student  of  Missions  could  doubt  from  what 
quarter  these  words  emanated  :  a  copious  use  of  pretty  phrases, 
and  expressed  readiness  to  let  in  a  breeze  of  the  outside  air  into 
their  Council  Chamber :  a  Vox  clamantis,  et  promittentis,  et 

PR^TEREA  NIHIL. 


(     10     ) 


Part  E 
GOOD   METHODS. 

There  are  of  cause  various  modifications  of  these  great 
Methods,  which  must  rest  with  the  discretion  of  the  agents : 
the  population  of  the  world  is  not  on  a  dead  level  of  culture : 
some  recommend  preaching  for  a  few  days,  after  the  manner 
of  Jonah  at  Niniveh,  the  first  Missionary  to  the  Gentiles,  and 
then  passing  on  to  Regions  beyond.     I  doubt. 

I  quote  an  extract  from  another  point  of  view  :  "To  what  ex- 
**  tent  should  we  use  means  ?  This  is  a  point  that  has  exercised 
**  many.  It  seems  to  us,  that  God  intends  us  to  use  every  means 
"  we  can,  provided  the  means  are  right  and  worthy  of  God.  It 
"  is  on  this  point  that  we  are  sometimes  misunderstood.  We 
"  gladly  use  every  means  we  know  of  to  make  known  the  Gospel 
**  at  home  and  abroad,  and  to  obtain  money  and  men  to  carry 
"  on  the  work,  provided  the  means  are  not  only  right  but  worthy 
"  of  God,  but  we  decline  to  use  means,  that  do  not  seem  to  us 
"  well  pleasing  to  the  Lord.  Probably  all  Christians  would 
"  agree  that  no  means  should  be  used  that  are  immoral,  but  so 
*'  great  is  the  pressure  in  every  good  work,  that  there  is  a  strong 
"  temptation  to  condescend  to  agencies  that  are  unworthy." 

Here  again  is  a  diversity  of  opinion  :  I  have  known  a 
Missionary  refuse  contributions,  or  aid,  from  a  man  not  living 
up  to  his  idea  of  a  godly  life.  Did  even  the  Pharisees  prevent 
the  Publican  from  casting  his  mite  into  the  Treasury  ? 

Slow  was  the  process,  like  that  of  a  moving  glacier,  but  there 
never  was  a  period,  when  the  movement  entirely  stopped  :  God's 
wheels  grind  slowly:  even  in  the  Evangelization  of  the  World 
it  is  not  the  Method  of  God  to  give  immediate  results:  let 
modern  Missionaries  take  that  fact  to  their  comfort,  and  their 
guidance. 

To  men  in  the  nineteenth  century,  dwelling  in  the  midst  of 
material  civilization,  the  voice  crying  from  the  wilderness  may 
have  no  effect :  in  his  health  and  strength  man  scarcely  thinks 
enough  of  the  blessings  of  life :  but  to  the  sufferer  on  the  sick 
bed,  the  dweller  in  the  lone  garret,  the  man  bereaved  of  all  his 
loved  ones,  the  one,  who  cries  aloud  for  his  daily  bread,  to  such 
a  one  in  that  terrible  period,  the  story  of  the  banks  of  Jordan, 
the  happy  land,  the  prospect  of  a  future  state,  which  cannot  be 
worse  than  the  present,  the  reunion  with  friends,  the  escape 


(  11  ) 

from  the  power  of  the  tyrant,  the  enemy,  the  oppressor,  had  a 
reality,  especially  when  preached  by  earnest  men,  who  believed 
their  message,  and  who  talked  about  the  undying  worm,  and 
the  tortures  of  hell,  as  if  they  had  had  personal  experience :  all  this 
touched  the  heart  both  of  the  first  class,  who  had  lost  all  confi- 
dence in  their  discredited  divinities,  and  the  second  class,  which 
was  fresh  and  receptive  of  new  doctrines,  which  perhaps  they 
thought  might  he  true;  at  least  they  were  comforting. 

In  describing  Xavier's  work  a  Romish  writer  writes,  and  truly 
writes,  that  the  first  good  Method  of  Evangelization  was,  that 
the  Missionary  should  be  a  sample  of  a  life  of  self-denial,  morti- 
fication of  the  flesh,  humility,  combined  with  love  of  God,  and 
zeal  for  the  salvation  of  souls  :  whenever  Missionary  work  has 
succeeded,  is  successful,  or  will  ever  succeed,  it  is  only  by  such 
a  Method  as  that  of  Xavier,  which  was  also  that  of  Columbanus, 
Boniface,  Aidan,  and  all  who  were  animated  by  their  spirit  and 
desired  their  reward.  A  kind  of  comfortable  dilettante  life  to 
be  given  up,  when  the  wife  is  sick,  is  worth  nothing. 

Let  me  first  notice  the  Apostolic  Methods:  they  require  no 
comment. 

I.  Preaching  in  the  Vernacular,  whether  in  the  streets  of 
the  City,  by  the  Hillside,  on  the  banks  of  Rivers  and 
Lakes,  whether  by  parties  of  men,  or  of  women, 
itinerating  from  village  to  village. 

IL  Teaching  the  way  of  Salvation  in  private  visits,  in 
journeys,  in  walks,  in  small  assemblies  collected 
together,  or  in  larger  gatherings. 
in.  Healing  the  sick,  if  not  by  the  miracles  described  in 
the  New  Testament,  at  least  by  the  miracles  of 
Science,  and  loving  care,  and  tender  nursing.  Such 
Missionaries  receive  no  remuneration,  and  go  great 
distances  :  what  more  perfect  Charity  can  there  be 
than  the  Hospital } 
I  now  pass  to  post-Apostolic  Methods  : 

I.  Reading  and  distributing  portions  of  the  Scriptures  in 
the  Vernacular  to  those,  who  are  able  to  read. 

II.  Visiting  Hospitals,  and  talking  to,  or  praying  with,  the 
Patients  :  visiting  the  women's  apartments  in  great 
houses,  and  talking  with  them,  reading  the  Scriptures, 
and  praying  with  them. 

III.  Visiting   Leper-Asylums,  where   such  exist,  or   similar 

Institutions  for  unhappy  outcasts. 

IV.  Founding  and  maintaining  Orphanages  for  the  reception 

of  children  abandoned  in  season  of  Famine,  released 
from  Slavery,  or  made  over  by  the  State  to  the 
Missionaries. 


(     12     ) 

V.  Founding  and   maintaining  purely  elementary  schools 

for  religious  teaching. 
VI.  Reading  and  distributing  Christian  literature  of  a  light 

and  attractive  character  in  the  Vernacular. 
VII.  Training-Colleges  to  provide  Native  Pastors,  Evangelists, 

and   Teachers,    and   for    such    purposes    providing 

Boarding  houses,  or  Hostels,  for  their  entertainment. 
In  the  process  of  converting  Europe  the  Monastery  played  an 
important  and  holy  part :  the  institution  had  not  then  been 
abused :  as  time  went  on  a  bad  name  attached  to  it.  It  was  at 
once  an  asylum,  a  hospital,  and  a  religious  school.  Agricultural, 
and  Industrial,  occupations  were  superintended:  the  lives  of  the 
Missionaries  were  simple,  devout,  and  devoted.  Celibacy  was  of 
course  the  rule.  The  Church-services,  however  ritualistic,  did 
something  to  elevate  the  character  of  the  ignorant  heathen :  bad 
customs,  loose  morality,  were  shamed  out  of  existence :  lessons 
of  self-denial,  self-restraint,  and  gentleness,  were  thus  given : 
intercession  for  mercy  was  made  to  rude  Chieftains,  and  often 
with  success  :  conciliation  was  effected  between  litigants  :  blood- 
shed protested  against :  an  asylum  offered  to  the  victims  of  per- 
secution. The  new  doctrines  appeared  in  the  outward  form  of 
a  group  of  self-denying,  patient,  benevolent,  altruistic  brethren  : 
it  would  appear  ridiculous  now,  but  it  was  a  great  instrument  of 
good  then.  The  corporate  life  of  Brotherhoods  and  Sisterhoods 
represent  this  factor  now.  We  should  not  allow  a  prejudice, 
arising  from  our  knowledge  of  the  abuse  of  the  system,  when 
maintained  after  the  necessity  had  passed,  to  blind  our  eyes  to 
the  wonderful  service  rendered  by  it.  Social  life  in  Europe  has 
changed,  but  the  condition  of  affairs  in  Africa  now  is  much  the 
same,  as  it  was  then  in  Europe  in  the  sixth  or  seventh  century. 
It  is  all  very  well  to  talk  of  a  Missionary's  home  with  his  wife, 
and  six  children,  as  a  beautiful  object-lesson  of  Christianity  to 
the  Natives ;  they  cannot  see  it  in  that  romantic  light,  nor  could 
I,  though  I  have  visited  scores  of  Missionaries  in  their  homes. 
Altruism  is  the  object  of  Missions  :  egoism  is  the  very  essence  of 
family-life.  I  unhesitatingly  pronounce  Brotherhoods  and  Sister- 
hoods to  be  a  good  Method. 

It  requires  Faith,  Patience,  deep-rooted  Kindliness  to  argue 
with  an  inquirer.  There  was  a  book  published  forty  years  ago 
called  "  Dwij,"  in  which  a  late  Missionary  at  Bandras  describes 
the  death-struggle,  which  he  had  with  a  young  Brahmin,  finally 
converting  him.  I, knew  both  the  combatants,  and  remember 
the  combat :  it  caused  serious  reflection  in  my  mind  at  the  time, 
and  up  to  the  present  hour:  he  bought  his  Faith  at  a  great 
price  :  I  had  the  blessing  of  being  born  in  the  Faith. 

The  new  conception  of  the  Female-Evangelist  promises  to  be 
one  of  the  most  blessed,  and  fruitful  of  blessings.     I  described 


(     13     ) 

their  appearance  among  the  villagers  ten  years  ago,  and  I  can 
add  nothing:  **  To  the  village-women  the  appearance  of  a 
*'  Female  Evangelist  must  be  as  it  were  the  vision  of  an  Angel 
**  from  Heaven  :  to  their  untutored  eyes  she  appears  taller  in 
"  stature,  fairer  in  face,  sweeter  in  speech  than  anything  mortal 
**  they  had  ever  dreamed  of  before  :  bold  and  fearless  without 
"  immodesty :  pure  in  word  and  action  yet  with  features  un- 
**  veiled :  wise  yet  condescending  to  the  ignorant  and  little 
"  children  :  prudent  and  self-restrained,  yet  still  a  woman  loving 
*'  and  tender :  such  as  they  never  appeared  before  to  poor 
**  village-women,  even  in  their  dreams,  until  suddenly  their  eyes, 
**  their  ears,  and  their  hearts,  seem  to  realize  faintly  and  con- 
"  fusedly  the  Beauty  of  Holiness,  when  they  begin  to  hold 
**  converse,  only  too  brief,  with  their  sweet  and  loving  visitor, 
"  who,  smitten  with  the  wondrous  desire  to  save  souls,  has  come 
**  across  the  sea  from  some  unknown  country  to  comfort  and 
"  help  them.  Short  as  is  her  stay,  she  has,  as  it  were  with  a 
"  magic  wand,  let  loose  a  new  fountain  of  hopes,  of  fears  and 
**  desires :  she  has  told  them  perhaps  in  faltering  accents  of 
"  Righteousness,  and  Judgment,  of  Sin,  Repentance,  and  Pardon 
"  through  the  blessed  merits  of  a  Saviour.  This  day  has  Salva- 
**  tion  come  to  this  Indian  village."     This  is  a  good  Method. 

Among  good  Methods  must  be  included  a  proper  rule  with 
regard  to  the  return  to  Europe  of  Missionaries  located  in 
unhealthy  regions,  such  as  Equatorial  Africa,  and  tropical 
countries  generally.  A  living  Missionary  can  do  much,  but  a 
dead  Missionary,  or  one  with  his  health  hopelessly  shattered, 
can  do  nothing.  The  Civil  Government  as  regards  its  own 
servants  has  laid  down  rules  sufficient  for  health.  In  Africa 
three  years  is  the  very  outside  for  a  residence  without  a  break. 
As  it  is,  the  deaths  in  the  field  are  appalling:  Furlough  after  ten 
years  in  India,  China,  and  Japan,  is  amply  sufficient,  unless  a 
Doctor's  certificate  orders  an  earlier  return.  It  is  false  economy 
to  throw  away,  or  lose  the  services  of,  a  trained  and  capable  man. 

The  very  presence  of  a  Missionary,  man  or  woman,  is  the 
symptom  of  a  good  Method.  The  Merchant  from  the  West 
cannot  be  quoted  as  a  sample  of  character.  It  is  a  surprise  to 
an  African  to  have  a  white  man  in  their  midst,  who,  if  he  chose, 
could  ill-use  them,  carry  off  their  wife  and  children  and  sell 
them  as  slaves,  and  yet  does  not  do  so :  the  wages,  whether  in 
cash  or  kind,  paid  regularly,  cause  a  new  sensation  among 
people  used  to  do  forced  labour:  the  kind  word  uttered,  and 
assistance  rendered  in  case  of  sickness,  surprises  them  still 
more:  Character  does  not  go  for  much  in  old  civilized  countries, 
like  India,  China,  and  Japan,  yet  the  people  are  led  to  reflect 
upon  the  wonderful  phenomenon,  that  there  are  men  and  women 
living  among  them  for  a  score  or  more  years,  not  to  rule  the 


(     14     ) 

land  like  the  officials,  not  to  make  money  like  the  merchant,  but 
to  do  acts  of  kindness,  speak  words  of  gentleness,  encourage 
morality,  and  talk  about  God,  and  a  Future  State :  I  quote  a 
letter  from  the  Minister  of  the  United  States  at  Pekin,  dated 
1886: 

•*I  am  not  particularly  pro-Missionary:  these  men  and  women 
**  are  simply  citizens  to  me,  as  Minister :  but  as  a  man  I  cannot 
"  but  admire  and  respect  them.  I  can  tell  the  real  from  the 
'*  false.  These  men  and  women  are  honest,  pious,  sincere, 
"  industrious,  and  trained  for  their  work  by  much  arduous  study : 
**  outside  any  religious  question  these  people  are  doing  a  great 
"  work  of  civilizing,  educating,  and  taking  care  of  helpless 
'*  thousands.  They  are  the  forerunner  of  higher  Methods,  and 
"  higher  morality.  I  do  not  address  myself  to  Churches  ;  but,  as 
"  a  man  of  the  world,  talking  to  someone  like  himself,  I  think, 
••  that  it  is  difficult  to  say  too  much  good  of  Missionary-work  in 
*•  China  from  even  the  standpoint  of  the  Sceptic."  This  also  is 
a  good  Method. 


(     15     ) 


Part  e. 
METHODS   NOT   RECOMMENDED. 

Between  the  good  Methods,  and  the  bad,  there  are  a  certain 
number,  which  have  come  under  my  consideration,  and  which  I 
cannot  recommend,  though  unquestionably  they  are  practised 
by  good  men :  the  question  is  one  of  expediency.  I  have 
divided  them  into  two  categories,  I.  Secular,  II.  Spiritual,  and 
append  a  detached  list  of  them,  and  now  proceed  to  describe 
each,  with  my  reasons  for  not  recommending. 


CAP. 
I. 

Secular. 

I 
2 

3 

4 

5 
6 

7 
8 

9 

ID 

Industrial  Farms,  Trades,  Manufactures,  Fisheries. 
Giving  Western  names  to  Natives  of  Africa,  Asia, 

Oceania,  and  America. 
Giving  Western  Agents  higher  rates  of  emolument 

than    Natives,  except  so   far   as   life   and   health 

require. 
Interference  with  Slaveholders,  and  giving  asylum  to 

runaway  Slaves. 
Adopting  dress  of  Natives. 
Sensational  and  emotional  proceedings. 
Intrusive    Begging,    Beehives,    Bazaars,    Old-World 

Fairs,  Lotteries,  etc. 
Preaching  in  Streets  under  circumstances  calculated 

to  entail  a  breach  of  the  peace. 
Forbidding  Converts  to  marry  non-Christians. 
High-class  Secular  Education. 

II. 

Spiritual. 

I 

3 

4 

Baptism  of  Polygamists. 

Challenging,    or    accepting,    public    discussion    on 

Doctrine. 
Substituting  other  elements  in  the  Communion  for 

Bread  and  Wine. 
Interfering   with    the    ancient    organization    of  the 

Asiatic  and  African  Churches. 

(     16     ) 

I.    SECULAR. 
I.  Industrial  Farms :  Trades :  Manufactures:  Fisheries. 

No  one  can  doubt  the  benevolence  of  those,  who  undertake 
such  enterprises ;  but  I  think  most  probably  the  spirituality  of 
the  manager  must  be  driven  out  of  him,  and  in  these  days 
of  the  fight  of  Capital  against  Labour,  and  the  competition  of 
Trade,  it  must  needs  be,  that  occasionally  the  Courts  of  Law, 
Civil  or  Criminal,  must  be  appealed  to,  and  my  long  experience 
of  Courts  of  Law  in  British  India  makes  me  feel,  that  the  white 
Missionary  would  cut  a  very  sorry  figure  in  such  contentions  :  he 
at  least  cannot  lie,  or  suborn  witnesses,  or  practise  the  tricks  of 
the  Court,  and  it  is  difficult  to  say,  whether  he  would  be  more 
alienated  from  his  converts,  if  he  came  out  of  the  Court 
triumphant,  or  defeated.  The  whole  thing  is  so  thoroughly 
contrary  to  Apostolic  practice,  and  post-Apostolic  experience. 

The  duty  of  the  Missionary  is  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and 
nothing  else,  except  what  helps  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel. 
His  converts,  and  his  Church,  may  be  poor  and  uncivilized ; 
that  is  not  his  affair:  the  poor  have  the  Gospel  preached  to 
them :  that  is  his  sole  duty.  A  great  deal  can  be  done 
incidentally  by  advice,  and  example,  but  all  my  experience  of 
the  last  half  century  goes  against  any  attempt  in  the  least 
degree  to  ask  a  spiritual  man  to  do  secular  duties,  or  to  yoke 
secular  and  religious  men  in  the  same  fellowship.  I  am  entirely 
in  favour  of  the  Lay  Evangelist,  the  Female  Evangelist,  the 
Medical  Evangelist,  wherever  Gospel-preaching  is  the  substan- 
tive work,  but,  when  it  is  proposed  to  have  a  pious  Industrial 
Superintendent,  or  an  Evangelical  tile-manufacturer,  or  a  Low- 
Church  breeder  of  cattle,  or  raiser  of  turnips,  I  draw  my  line, 
and  fall  back  on  the  great  Commission,  Matt,  xxviii,  19,  20, 
and  sternly  reject  all  external  adjuncts.  Let  not  our  agents 
exchange  their  blessed  names  of  Preacher,  Teacher,  Friend  for 
those  of  Farmer,  Trader,  Employer :  the  latter  may  make 
more  money ;  the  former  will  save  more  souls,  and  that  is  the 
sole  object  of  Christian  Missions.  The  Missionary  may  not  see 
the  reward  of  his  Soul  in  his  lifetime,  but  his  name  will  be 
mentioned  with  gratitude  by  generations  still  to  be  born,  as  the 
man,  who  opened  the  way  of  Salvation  to  them,  who  roused 
them  from  the  long  dark  sleep  of  centuries,  and  perhaps  had 
the  blessed  honour  of  dying  in  their  midst.  Augustine  did  not 
teach  our  Anglo-Saxon  forefathers  the  art  of  building  ships,  or 


(     17    ) 

starting  manufactories,  or  breeding  oxen,  but  he  did  something 
better :  he  brought  to  a  Nation,  that  was  heathen,  the  knowledge 
of  a  Saviour. 

Captain  Lugard,  in  his  book  on  "The  Rise  of  our  East 
African  Empire,"  writes  so  strongly  in  favour  of  Industrial 
Missions,  that  it  may  be  well  to  reproduce  here  the  views  held 
upon  the  subject  by  Missionaries  of  undoubted  experience. 

Bishop  Steere  says :  "  The  main  defect  of  travellers'  talk  about 
"  Missions  is,  that  they  can  only  tell  what  they  saw.  Now  there 
"  are  two  very  distinct  systems  of  Mission-working.  One  is  to 
'•  take  the  natives  into  tutelage,  and  make  them  live  and  move 
"  by  order,  and  work  when  and  as  they  are  bidden.  This 
**  system,  well  worked,  produces  fine  plantations,  good  culti- 
*'  vation,  well-kept  houses,  and  a  most  respectful  demeanour. 

"  The  other  system  aims  at  giving  the  Native  independence 
"  and  force  of  character.  It  leaves  him  free  to  cultivate  and 
**  build  and  live  as  he  pleases,  subject  only  to  instruction,  and  a 
"  moderate  amount  of  Church  discipline.  The  strong  point  of 
**  this  system  lies  in  its  development  of  a  really  native  home- 
"  grown  Christianity,  with  a  principle  of  self-improvement,  which 
**  works  slowly  and  from  within. 

'*  It  is  morally  certain,  that  nine  travellers  out  of  ten  will 
*'  report  better  of  Missions  on  the  former  plan,  and  therefore 
*'  say  that  they  are  more  successful  than  any  others.  I  doubt 
"  the  fact." 

And  Archdeacon  Alan  Gibson,  who  is  Bishop  Coadjutor-elect 
of  Capetown,  in  a  most  interesting  article  on  "The  Gospel  of 
Labour,"  in  the  Kaffrarian  Diocesan  Quarterly  for  January  1894, 
sums  up  as  follows : 

**  It  seems  to  me,  that  in  the  matter  of  manual  labour  the 
"  Missionary  must  not  take  European  countries  for  his  guidance, 
"  but  must  shape  his  course  by  the  Bible,  and  by  Christian 
"  common-sense.  A  certain  amount  of  manual  labour  is,  of 
*•  course,  necessary,  and  is  practised.  The  Christians  build 
**  their  churches  and  schools,  cultivate  crops  sufficient  for  their 
"  own  support,  and  the  payment  of  Church-dues,  school-fees, 
"  and  Government  hut-tax  ;  and,  with  the  constant  enlargement 
*'  and  improvement  of  kraals,  have  plenty  to  occupy  them. 

"  Where  they  do  so  little  as  to  neglect  any  of  these  Scriptural 
"  injunctions,  there  the  Missionary  plainly  has  a  duty;  lest  the 
"  younger  generation  should  grow  up  despising  manual  labour, 
'*  it  would  most  likely  be  well  to  have  some  alteration  in  the 
"  day-schools,  which,  however,  probably  only  Government  could 
•*  carry  out ;  and  more  attention  should  be  paid  to  the  decent 
"  housing  of  the  family. 

**  In  all  these  points  the  Church  has  a  distinct  mission ;  but 
"  when  the  Missionary  is  told  absolutely,  that  his  primary  duty  is 


(     18     ) 

"  to  teach  the  native  to  work,  he  may  well  call  to  mind  the  old 
"  saying,  '  Est  modus  in  rebus,  sunt  certi  denique  fines.' " 

I  quote  the  opinion  of  my  valued  friend,  the  Rev.  W.  Gray, 
himself  many  years  a  Missionary,  and  many  years  one  of  the 
Secretaries  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society : 

*'  I  dislike  the  system  to  which  you  refer :  Our  work  as 
"  Missionaries,  is  to  lead  men  to  Christ :  it  is  no  business  of 
**  ours  to  draw  them  away  from  the  innocent  secular  callings,  in 
*'  which  Christianity  found  them,  and  to  find  new  employment 
**  for  them  :  there  is  no  need  to  organize  Industrial  or  Mercantile 
**  Systems.  The  Church  Missionary  Society  is  often  appealed  to 
"  by  Missionaries  in  India  to  help  them  in  setting  on  foot  some 
**  system  for  providing  employment  for  converts.  They  are  not 
"  encouraged.  Lately  a  Corresponding-Committee  encouraged 
**  the  idea  of  going  to  Government  to  get  a  special  Christian 
"  Regiment  established :  it  was  at  once  discouraged  by  the 
"  Committee :  why  should  Native  Christians  be  thus  segre- 
**  gated  ?  I  oppose  to  the  utmost  of  my  power  any  attempt 
**  to  introduce  anything  like  the  Basle-system  into  the  Church 
'*  Missionary  Society's  Indian  or  African  Missions.  We  have 
**  hard  enough  work  already  to  dispossess  the  minds  of  the 
**  converts  of  the  idea,  that  they  are  conferring  on  Missionaries 
**  a  great  compliment,  and  benefit,  by  becoming  Christians. 
*'  The  Basle-system  must  help  to  foster  this  idea,  and  it  does  not 
"  tend  to  foster  the  spirit  of  independence  and  self-help. 
"  I  Corinthians,  vii,  24,  gives  no  uncertain  advice :  *  Let  every 
"  man  abide  in  the  calling,  in  which  he  was  called.' " 

In  1890  certain  friends  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society  at 
Keswick  moved  that  Society  to  take  steps  in  the  direction  of 
Industrial  Missions.  A  Sub-Committee  was  appointed  to  con- 
sider the  subject,  and  after  a  full  inquiry  submitted  a  most 
interesting  and  instructive  Report  to  the  General  Committee, 
with  the  following  recommendations : 

I.  That  no  trading  or  industrial  Mission  should  be  carried 
on  by  the  side  of,  and  in  close  connection  with,  Mis- 
sionary work. 
II.  That  Missionaries  in  uncivilized   Regions  should  have 
some  industrial  training. 
III.  That  industrial  training  should  not  form  a  factor  of  edu- 
cational work  in  a//  the  Missions,  still  that  there  were 
certain  places  where  it  might  be. 
IV.  That  simple  industrial  training  should  form  part  of  the 

teaching  in  Africa. 
V.  That   the   circumstances    of  Frere-Town   in   E.   Africa 
are  so  exceptional,  that  there  an  Industrial  Training 
Establishment  should  be  maintained  in  full  efficiency. 


(     19     ) 

Bishop  Smythies  recorded  his  opinion,  that  "he  regarded  with 
"  suspicion  all  industrial  work  undertaken  by  Missionaries  unless 
**  kept  in  strict  subordination  to  Missionary  ends,  as  tending  to 
"  lower  the  standard  of  spiritual  life,  and  to  turn  Missionaries 
'*  into  traders  and  planters." 

The  Rev.  B.  La  Trobe  of  the  Moravian  Mission  informed  the 
Sub-Committee  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  that  the 
industrial  trading  in  Labrador  and  Greenland  was  carried  on 
by  a  Society  in  connection  with  the  Missionary-Society,  but 
separate  from  it,  the  losses  when  they  occurred  being  borne 
by  the  Mission,  and  the  profits  used  exclusively  for  Mission 
purposes.  On  the  whole,  although  industrial  work  would 
attract  and  benefit  converts,  and  was  absolutely  necessary  for 
the  civilization  of  savage  races,  he  thought  his  Committee 
would  be  glad  to  do  without  it.  It  appeared,  however,  that 
the  objection  arose  specially  from  the  trading  operations 
necessarily  involved.  They  feel,  that  trading  and  business 
principles  ought  to  be  taught,  and  that,  although  the  expres- 
sions Church  heart  and  Store  heart  were  sometimes  used, 
the  contact  with  the  Natives  in  business  matters  helped  de- 
cidedly to  get  at  their  hearts,  and  gave  opportunities  for  Gospel- 
teaching. 

The  Reports  of  Mission-work  for  Labrador  have  quite  a  flavour 
of  Train-Oil  and  Deep-sea-Fishery.  It  is  excusable,  because  the 
work  lies  amidst  the  lowest  grade  of  the  human  race,  and  the 
Mission  depends  for  its  existence  on  its  Industry. 

The  Rev.  W.  S.  Price,  who  has  had  much  experience  in  in- 
dustrial training  work  at  Nasik  and  at  Frere-Town,  was  of 
opinion,  that  there  should  be  no  industrial  training  except  in 
orphanages  and  other  special  institutions.  In  a  unique  country 
like  U-Ganda  he  would  found  no  training  institutions,  but  merely 
give  the  lads  sufficient  instruction  to  start  them  in  work. 

I  now  quote  the  opinion  of  my  esteemed  friend  Dr.  Thompson 
of  the  American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  in  a  letter  to  me 
asking  my  opinion  in  1890  : 

"A  distinction  exists  between  manual  labour  (i)  as  an  inci- 
"  dental  thing,  and  (2)  as  the  leading  feature  of  a  school.  In 
*'  most  Missions  to  the  young  instruction  is  given  in  useful  in- 
"  dustries,  yet  only  as  an  adjunct,  the  leading  notion  being  to 
**  raise  up  competent  native  helpers  in  pure  Mission-work.  On 
**  the  other  hand  Industrial  Schools  contemplate  remunerative 
**  secular  occupation,  and  the  training  of  labourers,  who  will  be 
*'  able  to  support  themselves  by  handicraft,  and  enrich  the  com- 
"  munity.  In  such  schools  mental  training,  and  religious  edu- 
"  cation,  are  subordinated.  Secular  Industry  is  the  distinctive 
"  feature  :  and  manual  skill,  which  is  remunerative,  is  the  object 
"  in  view." 


(     20     ) 

Such  Industrial  Schools  are  valuable,  when  conducted  by 
the  Civil  Government,  or  by  private  philanthropy,  but  I  doubt, 
whether  they  have  a  legitimate  claim  upon  Missionary-Resources, 
and  whether  they  can  possibly  be  included  in  the  sphere  of 
Gospel-promulgation.  1  had  no  hesitation  in  my  reply,  that 
Industrial  Schools  were  neither  apostolic,  nor  expedient,  when 
conducted  by  Missionaries. 

The_spintuala^^t_of^IiSMon^^ 
^Jlien5j^^£lii^oyments  of  human  life;  his  vocation  is  to  lead 
^^iTHn'to  the  Kingdom  of  God,  not  to  make  neo-Christians  fat 
and  comfortable  in  this  world.  Paul  did  indeed  work  with  his 
own  hands,  so  as  not  to  be  a  charge  to  his  converts :  he  had 
not  a  wealthy  constituency  behind  him  to  supply  his  needed 
wants.  Experience  tells  us,  that  it  is  better  for  the  work  to  free 
the  Missionary  from  vulgar  cares,  so  that  he  may  have  more 
leisure  and  strength  for  his  sacred  duties  :  but  this  does  not 
mean  that  he  should  start  tile-works,  or  weaving  establishments, 
or  carpenter's  shops,  although  our  Lord  Himself  deigned  to 
live,  as  the  son  of  a  Carpenter.  Nor  should  his  time  be 
occupied  in  superintending  Fisheries,  although  Peter  and  John 
were  fishermen.  To  this  extent  there  has  been  a  social  revolu- 
tion in  the  world.  The  man  of  God  would  find  his  spirituality 
fairly  squeezed  out  of  him  by  contact  with  hard  worldly  business: 
which,  quite  commendable  for  secular  laymen,  is  not  suitable 
for  those,  whom  the  Holy  Spirit  has  selected  out  of  their  con- 
temporaries to  carry  the  Gospel.  It  is  not  canny  to  hear  of  a 
Missionary  shootipg  elephants  on  the  Kongo,  and  making  a 
pile  of  money  by  sale  of  tusks,  or  breeding  ostriches,  rearing 
cattle  or  sheep,  raising  turnips,  oats,  or  cereals.  Capital  has  to 
be  advanced  and  risked ;  books  have  to  be  kept,  profits  to  be 
accounted  for,  losses  written  off:  accumulated  wealth  by  a 
small  Christian  community  might  be  a  temptation  to  plunder: 
The  only  safe  course  for  a  Missionary  to  take  is  to  live  from 
hand  to  mouth,  and  to  have  nothing  to  offer  the  barbarian 
tribes,  which  might  tempt  them  to  plunder. 

In  the  camp,  which  maintains  the  opposing  views,  I  find  the 
honoured  and  respected  names  of  the  Bishop  of  Sierra  Leone, 
the  Free  Church  of  Scotland,  the  German  Mission  of  Basle,  the 
Missionaries  of  the  Church  of  Rome  ;  I  proceed  to  quote  from 
their  reports. 

I  am  not  maintaining,  that  a  Missionary  should  not  be  a  handy 
man,  able  to  build  his  own  house,  thatch  his  own  roof:  I  quote 

ChrySOStom,  Dec.  Soc.  Lib.  iv,  §  4.  "  kcll  Sec  rov  fieWovra  rrju 
**  7r/)05  Travra^  avaSe^eaOai  /u.a'x^rjVf  ra?  cnravriDV  Libevai  re^ua^  '  kuI 
"  TOi/  avTov  ro^oTTjv  elvai,  Kai  a(f)evS6vi<n7fv,  Kal  (npaTiivTTjv,  koi 
"  (Trparrf'^ou,  Kaly  Tre^ov^  Kal  iTTTrea,  kuI   uavju,a')(^7ju,  Kal  rei'^ofia'x^rjv.^^ 

These  are  subordinate  qualifications  of  the  Christian  warrior, 


(     21     ) 

but  there  is  no  necessity  to  be  the  Manager  of  a  Manufactory, 
or  the  leader  of  an  agricultural  colony. 

The  good  Bishop  of  Sierra  Leone  cannot  be  called  a 
Missionary,  nor  his  Episcopal  charge  a  Mission :  if  he  find  it 
in  him  to  promote  a  benevolent  industrial  Mission,  and  funds 
are  forthcoming  distinctly  for  that  purpose,  by  all  means  let 
him  so  employ  them.  The  Church  Missionary  Society  Lay 
Workers'  Union  was  addressed  by  the  Bishop,  and  a  separate 
fund  was  started.     It  seemed  to  several  of  the  members,  that  to 

*  assist  the  Bishop  in  giving  his  proposed  Industrial  Institution 

*  a  fair  start  would  be  not  only  a  pleasant  way  of  commemorating 

*  his  Lordship's  visit,  but  also  a  work  most  appropriate  to  be 

*  undertaken  by  a  Union  of  Lay  Workers.     It  is  indeed   not 

*  impossible  that,  when  the  funds  have  been  secured,  one  of  our 

*  own  members  may  go  out  as  the   Industrial  agent.     Under 

*  these  circumstances  we  hope  that  the  members  will  all  unite 

*  to  support  this  scheme.     The  sum  required  to  start  it  will  be 

*  £ioo  a  year  for  three  years.     If  each  member  will  subscribe 

*  y.  ^d.  yearly  for  those  three  years,  or  los.  in  all,  the  amount 

*  will  be  secured,  and  we  hope  that  all  will  make  an  effort  to 

*  contribute  this  small  sum,  amounting  to  less  than  a  penny  a 

*  week.     We  shall,   however,  be  glad  to  hear  from  the  richer 

*  members  of  our  Union,  that  they  are  willing  to  supply  the 

*  place  of  some  of  those,  whose  income  does  not  enable  them 

*  to  contribute  this  sum.     A  considerable  sum  was  promised  in 

*  the  room  at  Salisbury  Square,  and  we  shall  be  very  glad  if  an 

*  effective  answer  can  be  given  before  the   Bishop  leaves  for 

*  his  Diocese."  It  is  unnecessary  to  state  the  Bishop's  argument 
as  to  the  need  of  Africa  :  it  is  self-evident :  my  point  is,  that  it 
is  not  the  work  of  a  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel. 

Mr.  Stewart,  of  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland,  the  celebrated 
founder  of  the  Industrial  Mission  at  Lovedale  in  South  Africa, 
writes  that  *'  Industrial  work  does  not  interfere  with  spiritual 
*'life  in  any  greater  extent  than  the  same  occupations  do  at 
**  home :  it  depends  entirely  on  the  man."  Herr  Oehler, 
Missionary-Inspector  from  Basle,  gives  the  same  testimony 
with  regard  to  their  Mission  in  India  and  Africa. 

I  quote  from  the  Annual  Report  of  the  Free  Church,  1890  : 

"  Re -organization  of  Trades'  Department,  Lovedale.  The 
"  change  involves  a  much  larger  amount  of  time  being  taken  in 
**  teaching  of  a  purely  technical  or  trade  kind,  and  to  placing 
"  the  apprentices  in  groups  so  as  to  benefit  by  that  Instruction. 
**  It  also  involves  letting  go  some  of  the  profits  of  the  work,  and 
"  affects  the  question  of  self-support." 

Again  : 

••  The  Artisan  Evangelists  and  Teachers.  From  the  founda- 
"  tion  of  the  Mission  in  Lovedale  the  Free  Church  has  sent  out 


(     22     ) 

"  godly  young  artisans,  carpenters  and  masons,  blacksmiths 
*'  and  engineers,  gardeners  and  printers,  to  erect  the  Mission 
'*  Stations,  work  the  steamers,  print  the  Word  of  God, 
'*  evangelize  the  natives  through  the  vernacular  tongue,  and 
•*  teach  their  children.     There  were  eleven  such  men  in  1890." 

And  again  : 

"  We  are  put  to  a  heavy  expense  in  and  endeavour  to  carry  out 
"  the  requirements  of  the  Educational  Code  of  Cape-Colony, 
**  which  requires  Industrial  Training  in  all  Schools.  Turning 
**  out  carpenters  and  blacksmiths  will  stir  up  bitter  opposition 
**  from  the  European  settlers,  who  will  consider  the  bread 
"  taken  out  of  their  mouths." 

The  Bishop  of  Sierra  Leone  is  not  alone  as  regards  W. 
Africa :  I  regret  that  he  and  the  Archdeacon  wrote  the  words, 
recorded  in  the  Report  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society. 

"  The  Bishop  of  Sierra  Leone  strongly  urged  on  the  Sub- 
**  Committee  the  necessity  of  industrial  training  forming  an 
**  essential  part  of  Mission-work  in  Africa.  Archdeacon 
"  Hamilton  considered  that  industrial  training  was  most  desir- 
**  able.  He  would  have  masonry  and  coopering  at  Sierra  Leone, 
"  brickmaking  and  coopering  at  Lagos,  carpentering  and  black- 
"  smiths'  work  at  Abeokuta,  taught  in  the  Church  Missionary 
"  Society  Schools ;  this  work  not  being  supported  by  the 
**  Society,  but  by  selling  the  goods  made." 

I  now  quote  from  the  Reports  of  the  Basle-Mission  in 
Western  India,  i8qo: 

Industrial  and  Mercantile  Establishments. 

**  Our  Weaving  Establishments  in  Mangalore,  Cannanore, 
*'  and  Calicut,  as  well  as  our  Tile-Works  in  Kudroli,  Jeppu 
**  (Mangalore),  Malpe  (Udapi),  and  Calicut,  are  too  well  known 
*'  to  require  any  detailed  description,  as  also  our  Carpentry 
**  Establishment  at  Calicut,  our  Mechanical  Workshop  at  Man- 
**  galore,  and  three  Mercantile  Mission-Branches  at  Mangalore, 
"  Mercara,  and  Calicut  respectively.  But,  although  we  have 
*'  repeatedly  explained  the  object  and  nature  of  these  Estab- 
•*  lishments,  still  we  frequently  meet  with  people  who  misunder- 
"  stand  our  motives.  We  would  therefore  briefly  remark  in  the 
**  first  place,  that  these  Establishments  have  not  been  called 
**  into  existence  by  our  Missionary-Society,  but  by  a  separate 
*•  Mercantile  Committee,  which  has,  however,  among  its  members 
"  a  number  of  gentlemen,  who  take  a  deep  interest  in  Mission- 
•*  work,  with  the  object  of  giving  a  means  of  livelihood  to  our 
"  converts ;  and  secondly,  that  if  profit  be  made  in  the  business, 
"  the  Mission-fund  gets  a  part  of  it;  this,  however,  is  not  by 
*'  far  so  large  as  some  people  seem  to  think,  for  some  of  them, 
"  like  other  Mercantile  firms,  have  their  losses.     It  is  true  that 


(     23     ) 

"some  of  the  Establishments  were  from  the  outset  opened  on  a 
**  larger  scale  than  was  absolutely  necessary  for  the  purpose  in 
**  view,  and  in  consequence  of  this,  a  large  number  of  heathen 
**  and  Mahometans  find  employment  side  by  side  with  our 
**  Christians  and  candidates  for  baptism,  but  these,  however,  are 
**  brought  within  the  influence  of  the  Gospel  by  means  of  the 
**  Scripture -reading  and  prayer  held  every  morning  in  our 
"  Establishments  before  work  is  begun.  We  know  of  instances, 
**  in  which  these  daily  services  have  given  the  first  impulse 
"  towards  Christianity.  Our  lay  brethren  can  also  directly  and 
•*  indirectly  do  much  for  the  furtherance  of  Mission-work.  We 
"  are  thankful  to  the  Lord  for  all,  that  has  been  done  in  this 
"  direction,  and  trust  that  we  may  also  in  the  future  get  faithful 
**  workers  for  this  branch  of  the  Mission.  Faithfulness  in  little 
**  things  the  Lord  will  not  leave  unrewarded. 

"  These  Weaving-Establishments  have  also  in  the  past  year 
**  continued  to  do  their  good  work  for  the  maintenance  of  our 
"  Christians,  while  at  the  same  time  they  supply  work  to  some 
•'  of  the  new-comers  and  young  men." 

The  same  Missionary-Society  has  similar  secular  establish- 
ments in  W.  Africa.  Amidst  the  African  races  the  system 
may  find  an  excuse,  or  a  pretence.  In  India  the  people  were 
acquainted  with  the  arts  of  weaving,  pottery,  and  carpentry,  at  a 
remote  period  when  the  Teutons,  the  common  ancestors  of 
Germans  and  English,  were  naked  savages. 

Do  such  establishments  produce  gratitude  ?  I  quote  the 
Report  : 

*'  When  we  review  the  other  portions  of  our  Mission-Field 

*  we  are  painfully  struck  at  the  daily  diminishing  number  of 

*  that  band  of  noble  men  and  women,  who  amidst  much  enmity 
'  and  persecution,  forsook  their  idols,  their  castemen,  and  their 

*  families,  became  the  first  fruits  of  our  different  Stations,  and 
'  as  such,  the  salt  and  light  of  the   congregations.      A  new 

*  generation  is  gradually  taking  their  place  :  most  of  these  have 

*  not  tasted  the  thraldom  of  idolatry  and  the  enmity  of  the 

*  world,  but   have  enjoyed   all  the  privileges  conferred   upon 

*  them  through  the  medium  of  Church  and  School.     They  feel 

*  their  present  elevated  position ;  their  energies,  however,  have 

*  not  as  yet  found  their  proper  channels.  Many,  especially  of 
'  those,  who  till  now  have  not  experienced  what  a  new  birth  is, 
'  in  their  desire  to  improve  their  circumstances,  are  impatient, 

*  that  things  develop  so  slowly  and  not  in  the  very  way  they 

*  wish,  and  are  often  apt  to  suspect  the  very  Missionaries,  to 

*  whose  instrumentality  most  of  them  owe  their  prosperity,  and 

*  who  leave  untried  no  means  and  ways  to  push  them  on,  as  if  it 
'  were  they,  who  were  keeping  them  down  and  hindering  their 
'  progress. 


(     24     ) 

**  With  deep  regret  we  have  this  year  to  confirm  these  remarks. 
**  Reports  have  reached  us  from  several  stations  of  growing-up 
*'  sons  grieving  their  parents  and  teachers,  and  in  one  case,  of 
**  having  even  ill-treated  them.  Xhese  unruly  members  were  duly 
"  admonished,  but  finding  all  our  remonstrances  had  remained 
"  fruitless,  we  had  finally  to  excommunicate  them.  Very  careful 
*'  nursing  and  faithful  looking  after  of  souls  is  indispensable,  if 
"  our  congregations  are  to  shine  as  lights  amidst  the  heathen 
**  darkness  around  them." 

The  excellent  arrangements  of  the  Industrial  Mission  of  the 
Missionaries  of  the  Church  of  Rome  on  the  mainland  on  the 
coast  opposite  the  Island  of  Zanzibar,  connected  with  the  name 
of  the  much  respected  P6re  Horner,  have  been  the  object  of 
praise  by  both  German  and  English  writers  of  judgment  and 
distinction.  When  a  Church  can  go  so  far  as  to  purchase  slaves 
of  the  slave-dealer  in  order  to  make  up  a  Mission  School,  we 
can  hardly  weigh  them  in  the  same  balance  as  regards  Industrial 
Schools ;  they  do  not  approach  the  subject  of  Evangelization 
with  the  same  spirit.  The  Jesuit  Missions  on  the  Zambesi  go 
in  for  Industrial  Missions  in  their  worst  form.  They  give  out 
that  real  and  lasting  good  can  only  be  done  among  savages  by  the 
establishment  of  Christian  villages,  where  the  faith  and  habit  of 
Christian  life  are  gradually  learnt ;  it  is  their  desire  to  renew  on 
African  soil  establishments,  such  as  once  existed  in  S.  America, 
famous  for  their  temporal  prosperity.  The  British  African 
Company  has  lately  made  a  grant  of  a  large  tract  of  country  in 
Mashona-land,  and  the  Romish  Missionaries  appeal  for  funds 
to  carry  out  their  designs. 

Contact  with  matters  pertaining  to  money-making  takes  off 
the  fine  feeling  of  a  Missionary.  I  have  seen  Romish  Mission- 
aries distilling  liqueur;  I  have  heard  of  them  superintending 
the  breeding  of  cattle,  and  selling  the  beasts,  and  it  made  me 
shudder.  Of  course,  hand-work  and  loom-work  for  the  use  of 
the  family  is  lawful,  and  working  in  the  garden.  Lay-brothers 
with  a  Missionary  spirit  would  be  useful  here,  in  the  school  and 
in  the  pharmacy. 

Finally,  I  have  on  my  table  a  circular  issued  by  a  new  Protestant 
Zambesi  Industrial  Mission,  intended  to  be  self-supporting  and 
self-propagating.  This  is  the  right  kind  of  thing,  and  deserves 
every  support.  There  is,  however,  a  fatality,  which  seems  to 
urge  good  people  to  do  their  work  in  the  least  wise  manner,  for 
the  directors  of  this  enterprise  announce,  that  the  chief  and 
special  work  of  the  Industrial  Mission  is  to  set  free  A-Ngoni 
Slaves:  it  appears  according  to  them  that  there  are  at  least 
300,000  slaves,  and  that  the  power  of  the  Chiefs,  who  hold  this 
mass  of  men  in  bondage,  is  to  be  destroyed ;  this  means  war, 
and  a  very  speedy  break-up  of  the  so-called  Industrial  Mission. 


(     25     ) 


2.  Giving  Western  Names  to  Natives  of  Africa,   Asia, 
Oceania,  and  America. 

The  Missionary  should  abstain  from  introducing  among  his 
flock  the  personal  and  local  names  of  his  distant  country.  Why 
not  allow  the  people  to  use  the  same  names  as  their  non- 
Christian  ancestors  ?  Paul  has  set  us  this  example.  Tryphena 
and  Tryphosa  are  not  very  spiritual  names,  and  yet  they  were 
retained.  Then  the  introduction  of  Bethel,  and  Bethesda,  and 
such  like  Bible-names,  is  open  to  great  objection.  In  a 
Missionary  Report  I  read  that  one  Ram  Chandra,  a  Hindu, 
was  at  his  baptism  unwisely  given  the  name  of  Paulus :  after 
eight  years  nominal  Christianity  he  had  become  a  Mahometan 
Fakir,  thus  degrading  his  holy  name. 

It  has  been  a  mistake  in  Africa,  but  too  late  to  remedy,  to 
assume  European  surnames:  why  could  not  the  late  Bishop 
Crowther  have  been  known  by  his  own  native  name  ?  It  is 
distressing  to  read  in  the  local  papers  of  Sierra  Leone,  or  Lagos, 
that  a  man  named  Henry  Venn,  or  William  Wilberforce,  has 
been  sent  to  prison  for  felony.  The  plurality  of  the  name  of 
Johnson,  in  honour  of  the  first  Missionary,  is  inconvenient.  It 
is  one  of  the  signs  of  that  peculiar  British  arrogance  which,  had 
it  been  possible,  would  have  substituted  the  name  of  Johnson,  or 
Smith,  for  Socrates  and  Cicero :  why  should  a  well-known 
Native  Pastor  in  N.  India  have  been  called  David  Mohun,  while 
others  were  allowed  to  retain  the  honoured  names  of  Ram 
Chandra,  Krishna  Mohun  Banerji,  and  Gopenath  Nandi,  all  these 
names  of  the  Indian  Divinities,  and  yet  sanctified  by  these  good 
men  bearing  them.  In  the  Acts  we  read  of  Apollos,  who  bore  the 
name  of  a  Greek  Divinity,  and  was  not  required  to  change  it  when 
he  was  baptized.  It  is  the  same  Chauvanism,  which  makes  a 
French  Missionary  drag  in  **La  France"  into  all  his  operations, 
and  names  his  purchased  slaves  with  French  names,  that  induces 
Missionaries  of  the  British  middle  classes  to  give  to  Hindu  and 
Mahometan  converts  some  name  familiar  to  them  in  their  home 
circle,  or  some  name  from  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  which 
is  still  more  objectionable.  Thus  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
high  caste  converts  of  this  generation  is  named  Nehemiah  Nil 
Kant,  the  last  name  meaning  "blue-necked,"  a  title  of  the 
Indian  Divinity  Siva.  Our  object  should  be  not  to  make  our 
converts  ridiculous  in  the  eyes  of  their  countrymen,  or  to 
prevent  their  mixing  upon  equal  terms  with  their  non-Christian 
acquaintances.  We  have  only  to  imagine  an  invasion  of  Arab 
Missionaries  into  these  islands,  and  preaching  the  doctrines  of 
Islam,  and  after  circumcision  giving  them  Mahometan  names. 


(     26     ) 


3.  Giving    Western    Agents  higher  Emoluments    than 
Natives,  except  so  far  as  Life  and  Health  require. 

This  will  be  one  of  the  difficulties  of  the  next  generation  : 
when  a  Church  is  self-supporting,  the  question  will  at  once 
arise  why  a  white  man  should  receive  more  than  a  dark-skinned, 
beyond  what  health,  and  protection  of  life,  render  necessary: 
for  instance  food,  clothes,  and  house-rent.  No  doubt  the 
simpler  and  more  economical  the  unmarried  life  of  the  Mis- 
sionary, the  better  for  himself:  a  great  advance  has  been  made 
by  the  system  of  associated  brethren,  and  a  common  table :  in 
former  centuries  this  was  universally  the  practice  :  the  luxury  of 
the  nineteenth  century  has  caused  the  difference :  if  the  style  of 
living  of  the  white  man  be  raised  up,  it  will  follow  that  the  dark- 
skinned  man  will  desire  the  same  thing.  In  the  first  Mission 
Congress  at  Lahore  in  1861,  some  wonderful  disclosures  were 
made  of  this  latent  feeling:  in  the  prayers  of  the  Church  men 
are  declared  all  to  be  equal,  and  they  wish  to  be  so :  we 
must  practise  what  we  preach.  So  long  as  pure  Missionary 
work  is  going  on  to  the  non-Christian  world,  the  white 
Missionary  must  be  paid  from  Europe  or  America,  but,  when 
the  next  stage  has  arrived  of  the  management  of  Native  Christian 
congregations,  the  white  man  had  better  withdraw. 

4.  Interference  with  Slave-holders  and  giving  Asylum 

to  Runaway  Slaves. 

Happily  in  Asiatic  Mission-Fields  such  a  status  as  that  of  a 
slave  no  longer  exists,  but  in  Africa  the  difficulty  does  arise:  the 
status  of  slavery  has  not  been  abolished  directly  or  indirectly  in 
the  British  spheres,  and  for  a  Missionary  to  interfere  in  such 
cases  is  simply  to  oppose  himself  to  the  existing  law,  or  custom 
having  the  force  of  law.  The  present  period  is  one  of  tran- 
sition, and  within  one  or  two  decades  probably  the  status  will 
be  abolished.  A  Missionary  should  not  allow  his  house  to  be 
converted  into  a  refuge  for  runaway  slaves :  Paul  has  left  us 
an  example  how  we  should  act  :  a  conciliatory  word  to  the 
slave-holder,  who  arrives  to  claim  his  property  (technically  legal) 
may  induce  him  to  remit  the  punishment  of  the  runaway:  at 
any  rate  the  civil  authorities  cannot  support  the  Missionary,  as 
he  is  not  above  Law.  I  write  this  as  a  Member  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  the  British  and  Foreign  Anti- Slavery  Society,  and  one 
who  is  ardently  striving  to  destroy  the  Slave-Trade,  and  mitigate 
the  evils  of  Domestic  Slavery.  We  are  in  the  nineteenth  century 
of  the  Christian  era,  and  we  must  recollect,  that  in  the  nineteenth 


(     27     ) 

century  before  Christ,  Abraham  had  domestic  slaves :  it  is  only 
during  the  last  half  century  that  the  status  of  Slavery  has  been 
abolished  in  India. 


5.  Adopting  Dress  of  Natives. 

I  read  that  in  China  some  Protestant  Missionaries,  following 
the  example  of  the  Romish  Priests,  adopt  the  native  garb,  and 
maintain  that  the  influence  of  so  doing  was  beneficial.  I  cannot 
believe  it.  No  Protestant  Missionary  in  India  has  ever  done  so : 
it  is  not  suggested,  that  a  Missionary  in  Africa,  and  his  wife, 
.should  dispense  with  garments  altogether,  according  to  the 
custom  of  that  country,  or  in  cold  Northern  climates  adopt  the 
costume  of  the  Eskimo.  Surely  it  is  better,  that  each  Nation 
should  adhere  to  its  own  habits,  its  own  dress,  its  own  nomen- 
clature, its  own  manner  of  food,  its  own  peculiar  culture. 

This  subject  was  mooted  at  one  of  the  meetings  of  the  Board 
of  Missions  in  the  Church  House,  Westminster,  last  year.  The 
Primate  read  a  letter,  forwarded  to  him  by  the  Foreign  Office, 
from  a  British  Consul  in  China,  stating  that  the  respectable 
classes  of  China  were  scandalized  by  seeing  young  British  men 
and  women  going  out  in  Missionary  tours  together  in  Native 
costume,  who  to  the  best  of  their  belief  were  not  husband  and 
wife.  I  do  not  think  that  the  opinions,  and  moral  sensations, 
of  a  Chinaman  are  worth  much,  still  I  was  glad  to  assure  the 
Meeting,  that  such  was  to  my  belief  not  the  practice  of  Church 
of  England  Missionaries,  and  the  matter  dropped.  On  the 
other  hand  I  regret  to  say,  that  a  few  years  ago  two  sensational 
young  Missionaries  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society  adopted 
the  practice  on  the  Upper  Niger,  which  is  thus  reported  in  the 
Church  Missionary  Society's  Annual  Report  of  i8gi  : 

*'  The  adoption  of  Native  dress  by  the  Missionaries  is  con- 
**  sidered  to  have  been  a  great  help  in  obtaining  a  ready  access 
'•  to  all  classes  of  Natives,  and  the  loose,  flowing,  Hausa  gar- 
"  ments  are  found  much  more  comfortable  and  suitable  to  the 
*'  climate  than  European  clothes.  Dr.  Battersby  wrote  :  *  The 
•*  turban,  I  believe,  is  far  the  best  protection  from  the  sun  ;  the 
*'  tobe  or  gown,  w^hich  is  very  loose,  admits  of  free  ventilation, 
"  and  at  the  same  time  can  be  modified  to  suit  almost  any 
.*'  change  of  weather,  except  rain.  Below  we  have  the  loose 
"  trousers  and  sandals  for  the  feet,  very  comfortable.'  " 

Both  the  Missionaries  died  in  a  very  short  time,  possibly 
from  attempting  with  European  constitutions  to  adopt  native 
customs,  the  idea  being  more  peculiarly  ridiculous,  because  the 
Negro  Bishop,  Archdeacons,  and  Pastors,  as  well  as  the  better 
classes  of  the  laity,  have  long  adopted  European  dress. 


(     28     ) 


6.  Sensational  and  Emotional  Proceedings. 

I  would  not  willingly  say  a  word  against  any  attempt  to 
spread  the  Gospel  and  save  souls,  yet  some  degree  of  sobriety 
in  the  Methods  is  necessary,  and  the  practices  and  proclamations 
of  the  so-called  Salvation  Army  seem  to  exceed  all  limitations 
of  common-sense. 


7.  Intrusive    Begging,    Beehives,    Bazaars,     Old-World 
Fairs,  Lotteries,  etc. 

This  is  part  of  the  foolish,  sensationalist,  busybody  furor  of 
the  age.  Extravagant  expenditure  leads  to  the  necessity  of 
local  unions,  constant  applications  for  funds,  and  every  form 
of  mendicancy.     I  quote  a  few  : 

"  We  drew  attention  a  week  or  two  ago  to  the  unsatisfactory 
*'  means  employed  in  some  quarters  to  obtain  money  for  Church 
"  purposes.  The  latest  instance  of  this  kind  is  in  connection 
**  with  a  Church  Missionary  Society  sale  of  work.  The  enter- 
**  tainment  provided  was  of  a  very  singular  nature.  It  seems  to 
"  have  included  *  a  Witch's  Cavern,'  in  which  two  young  people 
**  *  practised  palmistry,'  and  certain  comic  songs  from  the  music- 
**  halls,  sung  by  a  local  celebrity.  It  is,  perhaps,  needless  to 
**  add  that  the  arrangements  of  such  entertainments  are  purely 
**  local,  and  quite  beyond  the  control  of  Salisbury-square." 

"  One  of  our  secretaries.  Miss  E.  M.  Horton,  Park  House, 
"  Shifnal,  Shropshire,  is  skilled  in  the  art  of  deciphering 
**  character  from  handwriting,  and  is  kindly  willing  to  employ 
"  this  talent  for  the  benefit  of  our  Society.  Her  charge  is  7^., 
**  and  we  hope  many  of  our  friends  will  send  specimens  of  their 
**  writing  and  allow  her  to  exercise  her  skill  upon  them." 

'*  Church  Bazaars.  It  would  seem,  that  there  are  many  and 
"  various  opinions  on  this  subject ;  that  while,  on  the  one  hand, 
"  there  are  those  who  object  in  toto  to  bazaars  and  sales  of  work 
"  for  Church  purposes,  some  clergymen,  on  the  other  hand,  go 
"  so  far  as  to  say,  that  such  modes  of  raising  money  are  actually 
"  indispensable.  It  may  help  to  clear  the  ground  for  a  right 
**  judgment,  if  one  or  two  leading  principles  which  govern  the 
"  whole  subject  be  clearly  stated  and  established : 

"  First,  it  is  highly  necessary  to  bear  in  mind,  that  the  gift  of 
**  God  cannot  he  purchased  with  money.  Men  talk  hastily  and 
"  loosely  about  money  being  absolutely  necessary  for  what  are 
**  called  Church-purposes,  but  when  we  come  to  consider  that 
**  '  Church-purposes '  really  mean,  ultimately,  spiritual  objects, 
"  the  enlargement  and  the  deepening  of  Christ's  Kingdom  in 


(     29     ) 

"  the  hearts  of  His  people,  we  cannot  for  one  moment  pretend 
**  to  maintain  that  these  things,  the  operations  of  the  Holy 
**  Spirit,  are  purchasable  with  money. 

**  Of  course  it  is  true,  that  the  outward  machinery  usually 
"  employed  in  Church-work,  such  as  the  fabrics  and  furniture  of 
"  churches  or  mission-rooms,  can  be  bought  with  money,  and 
**  that  money  or  money's  worth  is  absolutely  requisite  for 
**  procuring  such  things.  But  here,  again,  it  must  never  be 
*'  forgotten,  that  these  things  cannot  by  themselves,  by  their  own 
"  intrinsic  worldly  value,  procure  spiritual  blessings  any  more 
**  than  money  can.  Thousands  of  golden  sovereigns  may  be 
"  converted  into  the  fabric  of  a  beautiful  house  intended  to  be  a 
"  House  of  God,  but  neither  the  sovereigns  nor  the  house  have 
**  any  power  whatever  of  themselves  to  bring  the  grace  of  God 
**  to  bear  on  a  single  human  soul. 

**  A  gentleman  who  takes  scarcely  the  faintest  interest  in  the 
"  object  of  a  bazaar  is  induced  to  go  to  it,  and  when  there  is 
**  further  induced  to  buy  for  five  shillings  a  doll,  we  will  suppose, 
"  which  would  cost  four  at  a  shop,  and  which  he  forthwith  gives 
**  to  his  little  daughter :  has  he  then  given  five  shillings  to  the 
*'  Church-Restoration-Fund,  or  whatever  the  object  may  be  for 
**  which  the  bazaar  has  been  got  up  ?  No  ;  he  has  sold  five 
"  shillings,  and  has  received  his  quid  pro  quo,  viz.,  a  doll  worth 
**  four  shillings,  the  pleasure  of  giving  his  child  a  present,  and 
"  also  the  pleasure  of  gratifying  the  promoters  of  the  bazaar, 
"  who  are  his  friends,  and  especially  the  charming  lady,  who 
**  presides  at  the  doll-stall.  This  may  be  called  a  severe 
*'  opinion,  and  it  may  be  that  some  such  frequenters  of  Church 
*'  bazaars  do  take  a  little  interest  in  the  good  object,  and  are, 
**  therefore,  willing  to  give  some  money,  besides  what  they  sell, 
'*  for  an  equivalent. 

**  But  though  the  purchaser  may  give  little  or  nothing,  yet  there 
"  are  others  who  give,  and  whose  gifts  may  be  blessed.  The  doll 
"  which  was  sold  for  five  shillings  may  have  cost  one  shilling, 
**  the  material  for  its  clothes  may  have  cost  another  shilling, 
"  and  the  workmanship  of  them  may  represent  time  and  labour 
**  equivalent  to  two  shillings  more.  The  lady  who  thus  spent 
**  two  shillings  and  worked  two  shillings  has  given  four  shillings  ; 
**  and  if  Church  bazaars  meant  no  more  than  genuine  sales  of 
"  work  done  by  those,  who  convert  time  and  labour  into  money 
*'  for  a  good  cause  at  the  shop  prices,  there  would  surely  be 
*'  nothing  to  say  against  them." 

The  admonition  of  Paul  should  be  felt  by  everyone,  that  it  is 
the  duty  of  all  to  contribute  something,  and  to  provide  for  that 
contribution ;  but  the  Lord  loves  a  cheerful  giver,  and  the 
miserable  shilling,  wrung  out  of  the  unwilling  contributor  by  the 
man  with  the  plate  at  the  Church  door,  exhibits  the  very  lowest 


(     30     ) 

possible  type  of  alms-giving.  The  Beehives,  and  Collecting 
Cards,  and  Missionary-boxes,  have  really  become  a  bye-word  as 
adopted  in  present  practice.  I  remark  in  one  Missionary 
periodical  of  this  month,  that  the  holder  of  a  Missionary-box 
should  seek  contribution  from  the  dwellers  within  the  residence 
of  the  box-holder,  as  well  as  those  without :  this  is  sometimes 
forgotten. 

8.  Preaching  in   Streets  under   Circumstances  Calcu- 
lated TO  Entail  a  Breach  of  the  Peace. 

My  attention  was  drawn  to  a  notice  in  the  Annual  Report  of 
the  London  Missionary  Society,  1890,  that  Police-orders  had 
been  issued  in  Madras  to  prevent  preachers  of  different  religious 
beliefs,  or  different  denominations  of  the  same,  taking  up  a 
position  within  two  hundred  yards  of  each  other,  so  great  had 
been  the  excitement.  This  points  to  the  lamentable  indiscretion 
of  some  Missionaries,  who  would  run  the  risk  of  unseemly 
collisions  of  so-called  Christians  with  each  other  in  the  streets 
of  anon-Christian  city.  In  all  my  experience  of  Northern  India, 
as  Magistrate  of  Banaras,  or  Amritsar,  or  Lahore,  I  never  heard 
of  such  a  disgraceful  state  of  things,  more  worthy  of  Ireland 
than  of  India.  The  late  disturbances  in  Indian  cities  between 
the  Hindus  and  Mahometans,  though  neither  of  them  can 
possibly  have  suffered  persecution,  or  wrong,  is  a  proof,  that 
an  epoch  of  unrest  is  at  hand,  and  those,  who  know  the 
character  of  the  people  of  India,  will  feel  that,  if  there  be  a 
trouble,  the  Missionaries  will  probably  be  to  blame  for  not 
having  considered  the  place,  which  they  may  have  selected,  or 
some  other  particular  circumstance,  which  has  ruffled  the  usual 
quiet  of  an  Indian  urban  population. 

9.  Forbidding  Converts  to  Marry  Non-Christians. 

In  a  light,  easy  way  the  Church  Missionary  Society  Report  of 
1893  touches  on  this,  one  of  the  most  difficult  subjects  in  nascent 
communities: 

"  Intermarriage  with  heathens  has  been  in  the  past,  and  is,  a 
"  sadly  common  evil.  Mr.  Carr  refers  to  one  village  of  nearly 
"  3,000  people,  most  of  whom  were  formerly  Christians,  but 
**  who  have  gone  back  to  heathenism  on  account  of  the  difficulty 
"  of  getting  wives  or  husbands,  as  the  case  might  be,  among  the 
"  Christians.  Discipline  was  enforced.  Mr.  Walker  wrote : 
'•  ♦  For  many  years  discipline  has  been  sadly  lax,  and  marriage 
"  irregularities,  like  evil  weeds,  have  grown  apace.  After  con- 
"  sultation  with  the  Madras-Corresponding-Committee,  and 
**  submission  of  the  question  to  the  Bishop  of  Madras,  it  was 
"  decided  to  face  the  evil  at  all  risks,  and  endeavour  to  uproot 


(     31     ) 

*'  it.  Accordingly  every  case  of  marriage  irregularity  has  been 
**  reported  to  the  Bishop,  and  dealt  with  by  him  in  the  exercise 
"  of  discipline.  I  grieve  to  say,  that  several  hundreds  of 
"  Christians  have  been  thus  excommunicated  during  the  course 
**  of  the  year.'  " 

The  writer  goes  on  to  say  that  a  stern  Nehemiah  is  required 
as  well  as  a  loving  John.  It  is  not  asserted,  that  these  men 
had  put  away  their  lawful  wives,  and  taken  new  ones  :  there 
appears  to  have  been  a  difficulty  in  getting  wives,  and  the  civil 
law  of  British  India  would  recognize  such  bond  fide  unions. 
Was  anything  gained  to  Christ's  Church  by  turning  several 
hundred  Converts  out  of  the  Church  for  an  off'ence,  which  can 
only  be  purged  by  one  still  more  heinous,  viz.  deserting  the  wife 
and  offspring,  and  marrying  a  young  Christian  girl.  In  the 
Jewish  Mission  of  the  Church  of  England  in  London  I  found  a 
few  years  ago  the  custom  prevailing  of  each  Jewish  convert 
divorcing  his  Jewish  wife,  and  starting  fresh  with  a  Christian 
girl.  I  remonstrated,  and  got  together  a  Special  Committee, 
and  the  practice  was  forbidden  :  it  is  earnestly  hoped,  that 
Missionaries  will  not  interfere  in  such  subjects,  except  in  case 
of  adultery,  and  unlawful  relationship. 

It  is  not  practical  also  :  the  real  remedy  is  that,  if  a  Christian 
marry  a  non-Christian  woman,  and  bring  her  to  his  home,  a 
female  Evangelist  should  visit  her,  and  do  her  best,  to  persuade 
her  to  adopt  her  husband's  religion :  of  course  it  is  out  of  the 
question  attem.pting  this  in  the  case  of  a  Christian  woman 
marrying  a  non-Christian  man :  this  necessarily  implies  a 
withdrawal  from  the  Christian  Church.  The  distinguished 
convert,  Ram  Chandra  of  Dehli,  lived  to  the  day  of  his  death 
with  his  non-Christian  wife,  when  nothing  would  persuade  her 
to  be  converted  ;  but  history  tells  us  that  it  is  possible,  that  a 
Christian  wife  may  bring  over  a  non-Christian  husband.  At 
any  rate  it  is  of  no  use  for  a  Missionary  to  forbid  a  union,  which 
the  law  of  the  land  allows,  and  which  involves  no  question  of 
immorality.  This  must  remain  a  thorn  in  the  flesh  of  the  neo- 
Christian  Church  in  every  land,  as  it  was  to  the  Jews,  when 
Boaz  married  Ruth,  and  Salmon  married  Rahab,  and  Esther 
married  the  King  of  Persia. 

The  Metropolitan  condemned  in  no  measured  terms  a 
*'  practice  which  had  not  been  unknown  amongst  them  :  namely, 
"  that  of  a  father  giving  his  daughter  in  marriage  to  a  heathen 
**  man  because  he  could  not  find  a  Christian  husband  for  her  of 
"  his  own  degree.  Such  a  man  should  be  at  once  excommuni- 
**  cated."  I  cannot  agree.  I  cannot  find  anything  in  the  New 
Testament  to  justify:  did  not  the  Christian  wife  of  the  heathen 
King  of  Kent  bring  Augustine  and  Christianity  to  England  ? 

Let  Protestant  Churches  be  warned  the  folly  of  the  Church 


(     32     ) 

of  Rome,  which  forbids  the  marriage  of  a  Romanist  with  a 
Protestant,  and  in  Spain  declares  the  marriage  of  Protestants  to 
be  concubinage. 

The  Bishop  of  Blumfontein  in  his  charge,  1893,  would  allow 
catechumens  unbaptized  to  intermarry  with  those  who  had  been 
baptized.  He  also  remarked  as  follows:  ** There  is  a  growing 
*'  tendency  on  the  part  of  Christian  men  to  induce  their 
**  sweethearts  to  be  married  before  the  Missionary,  even  when 
**  they  are  heathen.  I  hope  to  make  four  of  these  heathen 
'*  wives  catechumens  in  a  week  or  so,  as  they  have  been  regular 
"  in  their  attendance  ever  since  their  marriage.  It  is  a  good 
**  sign,  though,  of  course,  too  much  might  be  easily  said  or 
"  thought  of  it.  It  is  a  step  forward."  And  a  very  important 
one.  The  Missionary  must  think  less  of  Church-order  and 
more  of  Purity,  and  Morality.  Conversion  will  come  in  God's 
time.  Uncleanliness  leaves  a  permanent  stain  on  the  children 
not  yet  born,  as  well  as  on  the  Parents. 

10.     High-Class  Secular  Education. 

A  great  deal  has  been  written  on  this  subject :  half-a-century 
ago  Dr.  Duff,  of  Calcutta,  started  his  famous  schools,  and  the 
Free  Church  of  Scotland  has  distinctly  adopted  this  as  one 
of  their  Methods.  Not  very  long  ago  they  issued  a  Circular 
calling  for  opinions  on  the  subject,  and  I  gave  my  opinion,  that 
High-Class  Secular  Education  was  not  the  Gospel-Message: 
the  Method  is  not  supported  by  any  utterance  of  our  Lord,  nor 
is  it  of  Apostolic  practice.  The  Census-Returns  of  the  popula- 
tion of  British  India,  which  amounts  to  two  hundred  and 
seventy-five  Millions,  tell  us  of  the  few,  that  are  educated,  and 
the  Millions,  who  are  in  the  grossest  state  of  ignorance,  and  yet 
the  Gospel  has  to  be  preached  to,  and  is  good  for,  all.  When 
Dr.  Duff  started  the  idea,  there  was  no  State-Education-Depart- 
ments: that  is  not  the  case  now,  and  the  existence  of  Missionary- 
Establishments  has  led  to  the  opening  of  non-Christian  Colleges. 
It  is  usual  to  say,  that  the  educated  youth  of  India  are  like  the 
man,  from  whom  the  unclean  spirit  of  Ignorance  has  been  driven 
out,  and  who  takes  to  himself  spirits  more  numerous,  and  worse, 
than  the  old  one  :  this  probably  is  true  ;  but  will  a  small  portion 
of  Gospel-Truth,  placed  like  the  meat  in  a  sandwich  between 
Mathematics  and  Classics,  help  him  ?  When  the  State  first 
started  their  Colleges,  the  cry  of  the  Student  used  to  be,  *'  You 
have  taught  me  English :  now  give  me  bread  to  eat."  Both 
Secular,  and  Missionary,  Educationists,  are  touching  the  fringe 
of  an  enormous  subject :  in  the  half-European  cities  of  Calcutta, 
Madras,  and  Bombay,  success  may  be  vaunted  of,  but  those 
cities  are  small  islands  in  the  vast  sea  of  the  people  of  India. 


(     33     ) 

Among  good  plans  I  unhesitatingly  count  the  acceptance, 
by  sincere  and  Christian  men  and  women,  of  educational 
posts  under  the  Government.  Let  them,  however,  count 
the  cost  beforehand :  probable  loneliness,  in  Japan  the  un- 
certainty of  tenure,  the  limitation,  (which  must  be  loyally 
adhered  to)  which  obliges  them  not  to  teach  doctrinal 
Christianity  during  school-hours.  Still,  if,  notwithstanding 
all  these  disadvantages,  they  are  prepared  to  throw  themselves 
enthusiastically,  on  the  one  hand,  into  the  work  of  secular 
education,  and,  on  the  other,  into  the  opportunities,  indirect 
though  they  be,  of  making  known  the  Truth,  which  these  posts 
afford,  then,  I  believe,  such  educationalists  are  to  be  counted 
among  real  and  effective  allies  of  the  regular  Missionary  Staff. 
I  could  support  this  view  by  instances,  which  have  come  under 
my  own  notice.  In  one  case,  during  six  years,  a  considerable 
number  of  young  Japanese,  over  thirty,  were  instructed 
and  baptized  by  an  educationalist,  who  was  alike  scrupulously 
observant  of  the  conditions,  under  which  his  services  were 
engaged,  and  careful  to  make  use  of  the  opportunities  of 
work  for  God,  which  his  position,  and  it  alone,  afforded  him. 
Some  English  Churchmen,  I  gather,  are  suspicious  of  this  mode 
of  work,  as  if  in  it  the  claims  of  the  Truth  were  subordinated  to 
those  of  secular  science.  This  fear  is  groundless,  provided  the 
teacher  is  possessed  by  a  sincere  and  earnest  desire  for  the 
Salvation  of  those  under  his  charge.  There  is  a  small  Mission 
of  graduates  at  Tokyo,  close  to  a  great  Native  School,  and  its 
influence  is  being  felt  by  Japanese  youths. 

In  India  another  policy  is  in  practice.  In  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  great  Secular  Colleges  of  the  State  let  there  be 
special  Missions,  consisting  of  highly-educated  English,  who 
will  seek  the  acquaintance  of  the  Student,  and  let  care  be  taken 
that  the  Education-Department  does  not  allow  improper  books 
to  be  admitted  to  the  classes  of  the  State  Colleges,  or  avowed 
Atheists,  Agnostics,  Theosophists  be  permitted  as  Professors  to 
teach  their  views  in  the  classes  :  let  there  be  fair  play  all  round. 

The  Church-Missionary-Society  in  its  official  organ  in  1886 
thus  expressed  itself,  and  it  seems  to  be  right : 

"  The  question  of  Education  in  any  country  is  not  directly 
**  within  the  scope  of  a  Missionary- Society.  The  province  of 
"  such  a  Society  is  the  dissemination  of  the  Gospel  of  our  Lord 
**  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  mainly  by  the  oral  teaching  of 
"  living  agents,  who,  as  ambassadors  for  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
**  go  forth  in  obedience  to  their  Master's  command,  and  make 
**  known  His  purposes  of  mercy  and  love  to  the  souls  of  adults 
**  unconscious  of  them.  The  contents  of  the  Bible  may  be 
**  viewed  as  their  credentials.  They  are  the  living  records,  to 
"  which  the  servants  of  Christ  appeal  when  questioned  by  what 


(     34     ) 

**  authority  they  assert  their  claim  to  be  heard.  There  are 
**  well-recorded  instances  where,  when  these  credentials  have 
**  fallen  into  the  hands  of  individuals,  they  have  by  their  own 
**  intrinsic  power  become  effectual  to  Conversion  ;  but  under 
**  ordinary  circumstances  the  mode  of  bringing  home  the 
**  message  of  Salvation,  described  by  St.  Paul  in  his  Epistle 
"  to  the  Romans,  is  still  that,  which  has  been  found  most 
**  universal  and  most  efficacious,  as  it  is  most  conformable 
"  to  Apostolic  practice.  In  all  ages  of  the  Church,  men 
"  unlearned,  and  without  education  of  any  sort  or  kind,  have 
**  thus  had  their  hearts  opened  to  receive  the  Truth,  and  have 
**  embraced  it,  to  the  saving  of  their  souls." 

In  British  India,  under  the  Charter  of  1854,  subventions  are 
made  to  Missionary-Schools  by  the  State  on  the  condition  of 
a  Report  of  the  Secular  Inspector:  we  may  anticipate  an  early 
end  of  this.  The  Treasury  of  British  India  is  nearly  insolvent, 
and  wholesale  economies  must  be  made.  Moreover,  the 
Missionary-Societies,  in  their  remittances  from  Great  Britain  to 
India,  make  enormous  annual  profits  by  the  fall  of  the  Rupee, 
though  they  carefully  refrain  from  noting  this  fact  in  their 
Reports.  On  the  other  hand  some  Societies  have  declined  to 
accept  the  subvention  on  the  condition  of  the  Inspector.  It 
cannot  be  expected,  that  in  India  the  State  should  support  two 
sets  of  schools.  Secular  and  Religious,  considering  that  the 
taxes  devoted  to  the  Missionary  places  of  education  are  levied 
from  the  non-Christian  world  :  if  Protestants  had  to  support  an 
Educational  Institution  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  they  would  soon 
cry  out.  If  they  are  wise,  the  Societies  will  not  ask  for,  or 
accept,  subventions  from  a  State,  which  distinctly  is  non- 
Christian  :  their  object  should  be  solely  to  teach  Christ : 
everything  else  is  supplementary. 

A  large  Field  is  thus  laid  open  and  ready  for  a  Christian 
Education-Society,  analogous  to  the  Christian-Literature-  Society. 
In  touch,  and  friendly  intercourse,  with  Missionary-Societies  of 
all  Schools  of  Thought,  the  object  would  be  distinctly  not  to 
catch  souls,  but  to  train  the  intellect  in  the  same  character 
of  Christian  Education  as  prevails  in  Europe. 

Hear  what,  in  the  Church-  Missionary  -  Society  -  Intelligencer, 
October  1886,  Bishop  Hodges,  of  Travancore,  himself  a  Principal 
of  a  Missionary-College,  says  :  "  But  besides  and  above  all  this, 
•'  no  Field  of  labour  gives  so  abundant  exercise  for  the  personal 
*'  influence  of  a  Christian  life,  as  the  daily  unambitious  round 
•*  of  school-work.  The  educational  Missionary  is  from  day  to 
**  day  brought  into  close  personal  intercourse  with  his  pupils, 
"  who  cannot  fail  to  be  deeply  influenced  and  to  catch  the  tone, 
*'  insensibly  it  may  be,  but  all  the  more  impressively,  of  his  life 
**  and  conduct.    And  this  wholesome  influence  tells  the  more,  as 


(     35     ) 

"  he  joins  them  in  their  games  and  recreation,  and  gives  them 
**  at  all  times  a  ready  access  and  welcome  to  his  house.  Nor 
**  must  the  personal  part,  that  he  takes  in  their  secular  studies, 
"  and  the  general  interest  he  shows  in  their  temporal  welfare, 
**  be  held  as  a  hindrance  to  his  higher  aims ;  nay  rather,  in 
**  many  unseen  ways  it  may  only  emphasize  and  recommend  his 
**  more  direct  religious  teaching." 

I  cannot  conceive  what  advantage  the  cause  of  Missions,  i.e., 
the  Conversion  of  souls,  has  gained  by  the  Education-Commission 
of  1883.  No  doubt  Education  has  derived  advantage.  The 
non-Christian  public  now  see  clearly,  that  the  one  only  object 
of  a  true  Missionary  is  Conversion.  He  wishes  the  State- 
Colleges  to  be  closed,  that  he  may  start  a  Propagandist  Insti- 
tute. If  a  Priest  of  the  Church  of  Rome  had  pressed  the  matter 
on  Lord  Ripon,  when  the  Viceroy,  and  reminded  him  that  the 
number  of  the  Romish  native  converts  far  exceeded  that  of 
the  Protestants,  jealousy  would  have  been  aroused.  The  pro- 
portion of  the  number  o-f  Christians  of  all  sorts  in  India  to  the 
non-Christian  population  is  ridiculously  small,  2f  Millions  to 
282  Millions.  What  chance  in  Great  Britain  would  a  small 
column  of  Mahometans  or  Jews  have  in  the  School-Boards  }  If 
elective  School-Boards  were  started  in  India,  the  Missionary 
would  find,  that  King  Stork  had  succeeded  King  Log.  Young 
India  would  not  long  submit  to  any  insidious  form  of  propagan- 
dism  under  the  guise  of  Secular  Education.  The  Lord's  battle 
must  be  waged  openly,  not  in  the  form  of  a  somewhat  cheaper 
Secular  Education.  The  Gospel-Message  cannot  submit  to  be 
enclosed  in  the  wallet  of  a  school-boy,  tied  up  in  the  same  strap 
with  Philosophy  and  Mathematics. 

It  is  not  only  in  British  India,  but  in  Turkey  and  Persia,  that 
the  shoe  pinches  about  the  Missionary-Schools.  Clearly  a 
Sovereign-State  has  the  control  of  its  own  Educational  Depart- 
ment. Austria,  Russia,  France,  Germany,  and  Italy,  claim  for 
the  State  the  Monopoly  of  Public  Instruction.  If  Missionaries 
act  with  conciliation  to  the  local  authorities,  they  can  keep 
open  their  Schools,  but  it  is  of  no  use  blustering,  and  claiming 
under  a  Treaty  a  right  to  open  Schools  avowedly  to  convert  the 
Mahometans.  I  am  not  quite  sure,  that  even  in  Free  England 
large  Mahometan  Schools  would  survive  the  popular  indigna- 
tion, if  opened  avowedly  to  convert  Christians. 

Neander  remarks,  that  **  experience  teaches  us,  that  Christianity 
"  has  only  made  a  firm  and  living  progress,  where  from  the  first 
*'  it  has  brought  with  it  the  seeds  of  all  human  culture,  although 
**  they  have  only  developed  by  degrees."  Had  Neander  ex- 
perience of  the  Missions  of  the  nineteenth  Century  amidst  all 
the  races  of  the  world  in  every  stage  of  civilization  ?  He  died 
in    1850,   and    his   great   work   was   written   much   earlier.      I 


(     36     ) 

humbly  trust,  that  Christianity  has  a  firm  hold  among  races,  of 
whom  it  cannot  be  said,  that  they  have  any  culture  at  all,  nor 
seem  likely  to  develop  it. 

I  have  not  stated  the  grounds  of  Dr.  Duff's  opinion,  nor 
described  his  celebrated  practice :  it  is  so  well  known,  that  it 
would  be  a  waste  of  time,  and  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland 
has  recently  laid  down  the  principles  with  great  precision. 

My  opinion  is,  that  there  is  great  objection  to  the  prosecution 
of  Education,  which  has  not  a  strictly  Missionary-object.  It  is 
not  the  duty  of  Missionary-Societies  to  give  a  cheap  Secular 
Education  to  the  natives  of  any  country.  School-teaching  is  a 
lawful  expenditure  of  Missionary  -  Funds  only  when  its  sole 
object  is  Conversion  of  Souls.  It  may  be  that  in  some  countries 
Education  is  the  only  Method  available  ;  still,  if  it  cannot  be 
conducted  on  strictly  Christian  principles,  it  should  not  be 
undertaken.  The  School  must  be  opened  and  closed  with 
prayer,  and  the  Bible  be  taught  without  any  reserve,  or  limita- 
tion. No  conscience-clauses  should  be  tolerated  in  a  Mission- 
School.  If  State-Grants  are  saddled  with  such  conditions, 
they  should  be  refused :  non-Christian  teachers  should  not  be 
employed,  and,  if  the  Missionary  thinks,  that  he  can  only  secure 
such  success  in  secular  studies,  as  will  warrant  a  State-Grant, 
by  sacrifice  of  Religious  Instruction,  he  should  give  up  the 
Grant.  Unless  the  scholars  attend  the  Prayers,  and  Religious 
teaching,  they  should  not  be  admitted. 

Education  is  the  **  hiding  of  power,"  that  has  done  so  much 
in  primitive  Missions  for  the  Spiritual  Kingdom.  It  may  be  a 
question,  whether  High  Schools,  and  Colleges,  excellent  in 
themselves,  are  proper  Apostolic  Methods,  and  proper  objects 
for  money  collected  to  preach  the  Gospel.  If  the  Schools  are 
intended  to  train  evangelizing  Agents,  or  to  educate  the  children 
of  Christian  converts  up  to  the  level  of  reading  the  Bible,  and  no 
further,  call  them  so.  Knowledge  is  Power,  and  it  cannot  be 
right  with  Mission-collections  to  elevate  the  converts  to  a  status 
in  life  above  that  of  their  friends.  The  fear  is,  lest  in  the  midst 
of  all  the  Educational  tendencies,  the  direct  preaching  of  the 
Gospel  should  fall  out  of  fashion.  All  other  matters  are  ancillary. 
In  British  India  the  Missionary  might  leave  Education  to  the 
State,  and  care  for  the  Education  of  his  converts,  and  training 
colleges  and  schools.  What  has  the  ordinary  Missionary  to 
do  with  Higher  Education  }  Is  he  qualified  any  more  than  an 
ordinary  Minister  in  Great  Britain,  to  superintend  an  Educational 
establishment  higher  than  a  Sunday  School  } 


(     37     ) 


II.     SPIRITUAL. 
I.  Baptism  of  Polygamists. 

The  Missionary  must  be  very  cautious  in  meddling  with  the 
marriage-customs  of  the  people,  among  whom  he  lives.  The 
status  of  Polygamy  is  legal  to  the  Mahometan  everywhere,  and 
his  children  are  legitimate  by  the  law  of  all  lands  :  the  same 
may  be  said  generally  of  professors  of  other  religions.  Under 
no  circumstances  should  a  Missionary  suggest  the  idea  of  a  man 
putting  away  some  of  his  wives  :  what  is  to  become  of  her  and 
her  children  ?  for  her  to  cohabit  with  another  man  would  be 
adultery.  The  Mahometan  and  Hindu  Marriage  is  guarded  by 
proper  ceremonial  of  a  religious  character :  among  Pagan,  and 
barbarous  tribes,  such  is  not  the  case :  a  man's  family  may  be 
made  up  of  slave-girls,  who  do  not  pretend  to  be  married  at  all, 
by  the  widows  of  relatives,  who  have  been  passed  to  him  by 
inheritance,  who  are  not  in  any  sense  his  wives :  so  after  inquiry 
it  may  be  found,  that  he  has  only  two  or  three  bond  fide  legal 
wives,  married  according  to  the  custom  of  the  tribe  from  their 
father's  home,  or  after  the  death  of  their  first  husband,  and  he 
must  not  be  encouraged  to  divorce  them,  except  for  the  only 
reason,  which  would  justify  divorce,  if  he  were  a  Christian. 

The  subject  has  been  much  discussed,  and  I  have  myself 
gone  carefully  into  it,  and  come  to  the  conclusion,  that  the 
baptism  of  a  Polygamist  is  impossible,  until  there  survives  only 
one  wife :  he  must  remain  a  catechumen  even  unto  the  day  of 
his  death,  but  all  his  wives  and  children  may  be  baptized.  To 
admit  a  Polygamist  to  all  the  privileges  of  the  Church  would 
only  encourage  other  baptized  Christians  to  desire  to  have  a 
plurality  of  wives  also,  and  it  is  better,  that  one  man  should 
suffer  than  the  purity  of  the  Church  should  be  defiled. 

In  British  India  the  Civil  Law  allows  a  convert,  whose  wife 
has  been  taken  away  from  him  by  her  relatives,  to  summon  her, 
and  if  she  fail  to  attend,  and  show  cause,  why  she  should  not 
live  with  her  husband,  the  marriage  is  declared  to  be  void.  This 
law  was  passed,  while  I  was  in  the  Legislative  Council  of  the 
Viceroy,  and  I  opposed  it,  but  it  passed  into  law,  and  it  will  not 
be  well  for  a  Missionary  to  resist  the  law  of  the  land. 


(     38     ) 

The  subject  was  brought  before  the  last  Lambeth-Episcopal 
Conference.  I  had  forwarded  a  copy  of  my  pamphlet  to  every 
one  of  the  Bishops.  On  the  day  following  the  decision  of  the 
Conference  on  this  point  I  met  his  Grace  the  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury  at  a  reception,  and  he  told  me,  that  the  decision  was 
on  the  lines  of  the  view  taken  by  me.  It  sounds  so  easy  to  do, 
as  Bishop  Selwyn  the  first  said  to  a  Chief,  who  wished  to  be 
baptized  :  he  held  up  two  fingers  of  his  hand,  and  then  slowly 
put  down  one,  to  indicate,  that  he  must  part  with  one  of  his 
wives  :  this  will  not  work : .  is  he  to  put  away  the  oldest,  the 
fattest,  the  one  who  is  childless,  or  the  mother  of  his  children  ? 
A  Polygamist  had  placed  himself  in  a  dilemma,  and  he  must 
not  make  others  suffer  for  his  misfortune.  Why  did  not  Nathan 
call  upon  David  to  put  away  all  but  one  of  his  wives  }  he  par- 
ticularly mentions,  that  Polygamy  was  not  the  sin  complained  of, 
but  Adultery  and  Murder.  In  the  case  of  the  Hindus  there  is 
no  lust  in  the  matter  of  Polygamy ;  all  the  marriages  take  place, 
while  the  bride  and  bridegroom  are  in  their  childhood.  We 
read  in  II  Chronicles,  xxiv,  3,  that  Jehoiada,  the  High  Priest, 
took  for  the  little  king  Joash,  aged  seven  years,  two  wives ;  and 
in  one  case  in  conversation  with  a  Hindu  about  the  folly  of  his 
having  two  wives,  his  reply  was,  that  he  had  not  done  it,  for  he 
was  married  to  both  as  a  child  :  he  had  children  by  both,  and 
both  were  good  women :  he  could  not  part  with  them.  After 
the  return  from  Captivity,  Polygamy  ceased  among  the  Jews, 
and  never  existed  among  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  and  even  in 
British  India,  where  it  is  legal,  it  is  quite  exceptional,  but  it 
would  not  be  wise  for  the  Government  to  interfere  ;  the 
Christian  Church  is  bound  to  say  clearly,  "  No  Polygamist  shall 
be  baptized." 

Another  very  serious  reason  for  maintaining  this  rule  is  the 
deliberate  attempt  now  made  by  the  Members  of  the  Churches 
of  West  Africa  at  Lagos  and  Sierra  Leone  to  introduce  the 
custom  into  their  Christian  Churches  :  they  maintain  that 
Monogamy  may  be  good,  as  it  has  always  been  good,  for 
Europe,  but  it  is  not  good,  and  never  has  been  good,  for  Africa. 
Specious  reasons  have  been  brought  forward  to  support  these 
views,  and  I  have  now  papers  on  my  table  of  this  very  year 
from  both  Colonies  discussing  a  subject,  which  was  deemed 
absolutely  settled  :  it  would  be  an  extreme  danger,  therefore,  to 
allow  Polygamists  to  be  baptized :  the  sight  of  them  seated  in 
Church  with  their  numerous  wives  and  children  would  naturally 
suggest  the  inquiry,  why  a  Negro  born  a  Christian  should  not 
have  the  same  privilege  as  a  converted  heathen  :  what  is  right 
in  one,  cannot  be  so  far  wrong  in  another. 

We  shall  see  further  on,  that  some  Missionaries  made  the 
putting  away  of  all  wives  but  one  a  condition  precedent  to 


(     39     ) 

baptism  :  to  this  I  solemnly  object,  as  cruel,  and  unjust,  to  the 
women.  Another  argument  is,  that  the  women  are  from  their 
earliest  youth  impure,  and  deserve  no  consideration  :  such  an 
argument  is  most  unworthy  on  the  part  of  men  :  if  the  women 
have  sinned  in  their  youth,  it  may  be  hoped  that  they  have  by 
marriage  left  off  sinning.  Other  Missionaries  have  attempted 
to  persuade  the  wives  of  Polygamists  to  refuse  to  cohabit  with 
their  husbands :  this  policy  might  lead  to  very  serious  con- 
sequences, and  possibly  to  violent  crime.  The  wisest  cause  is 
not  to  admit  Polygamists  into  the  Church. 

2.  Challenging,  or  accepting,  public  discussion  on 
Doctrine. 

This  is  not  a  desirable  Method :  it  does  not  follow,  that  the 
Missionary  may  prove  an  able  disputant,  and  while  a  defeat 
would  be  injurious,  no  possible  advantage  could  come  from 
a  victory.  I  quote  the  following  from  the  Annual  Report  of  the 
Church-Missionary-Society : 

'*  One  Mr.  Wilson,  an  Englishman,  who  has  become  a  Ma- 
*'  hometan  Missionary,  came  from  India.  Meetings  were  held 
*'  in  various  parts  of  the  island.  He  boasted  of  having  con- 
**  verted  7,000  Englishmen  at  Liverpool,  and  said  he  had  come 
"  to  Mauritius  to  do  the  same.  At  first  a  few  Church  of  Rome 
**  Creoles  pretended  to  be  inquirers,  and  then  some  Hindus 
"  attended  his  meetings.  Emboldened  with  this  soi-disant 
•'  success,  he  attacked  Christianity  with  great  vehemence.  As 
"  the  Mahometans  were  everywhere  roused  against  us,  I  had 
**  to  summon  Mr.  Wilson  to  a  public  discussion.  He  proudly 
*'  agreed  to  it,  appointed  a  day,  and  had  notices  in  the  papers 
"  to  say,  that  he  would  point  out  the  errors  of  Christianity,  and 
"  prove  the  truth  of  Islam.  When  the  day  came,  a  large  number 
*'  assembled  on  the  spot,  but  the  controverter  would  not  come. 
"  A  few  days  afterwards  he  quietly  left  the  island.  However, 
"  this  self-defeat  has  not  disconcerted  the  Mahometans ;  they 
•*  have,  with  fresh  zeal,  circulated  a  new  supply  of  anti-Christian 
'*  tracts,  and  challenged  us  to  refute  them." 

3.  Substituting  other  elements  in  the  Communion  for 
Bread  and  Wine. 

The  serious  question  must  arise,  how  a  Native  Church  is  to 
provide  itself  with  the  elements  for  the  Lord's  Supper  in  countries, 
where  neither  the  vine,  nor  corn,  which  were  the  staples  of  life 
in  Palestine,  are  forthcoming.  The  inward  and  spiritual  Grace 
should  be  the  object  of  consideration,  and  it  is  distressing  to 
read  of  the  Native  Pastor  buying  a  bottle  of  wine  at  a  low 


(    -io    ) 

European  store,  especially  when  it  is  desirable  to  keep  the 
people  free  from  the  use  of  liquors,  especially  European  liquors. 
One  Missionary-Society  has  decided  as  follows:  '*  The  question 
**  of  foreign  bread  and  wine  being  used  at  the  Lord's  Supper  was 
•*  discussed,  and,  feeling  the  tendency  of  the  Natives  to  regard 
**  the  Sacrament  with  superstitious  feelings,  and  the  desirability 
"  of  keeping  it  as  simple  and  primitive  as  possible,  and  also  of 
"  using  elements,  that  might  be  easily  procured  by  the  Natives, 
"  we  determined  to  use  the  bread  and  wine  of  the  country,  viz.  the 
**  beautiful  yams,  and  the  cocoa-nut  milk,  which  is  more  Scriptural 
"  than  water,  coloured  with  a  little  wine,  and  bread  made  from 
**  the  dregs  of  the  Missionary's  cask:  the  object  is,  that  the 
'*  Natives  should  find  the  elements  in  their  own  land  for  the  sus- 
"  tentation  of  Christianity." 

I  can  quite  understand  a  great  difference  of  opinion  existing 
on  this  subject :  we  have  to  imagine  regions,  where  corn  and 
wine  never  existed,  or  have  ceased  to  exist :  in  some  islands 
intoxicating  liquors  are  absolutely  excluded  :  flour  is  unknown, 
except  in  the  Missionary's  cask  imported  from  a  foreign  land. 
I  recollect  a  poor  dying  soldier  begging  the  Chaplain  to  ad- 
minister the  Sacrament  to  him  :  there  was  no  wine  in  the  camp  : 
there  was  brandy  and  beer :  the  Chaplain  used  the  former  in 
water,  but  it  was  understood,  that  he  was  reproved  by  the  Bishop. 
In  looking  forward  to  the  increase  of  the  members  of  the  Church, 
these  things  rise  up  for  consideration. 


4.  Interfering  with  the  Ancient  Organization  of  the 
Asiatic  and  African  Churches. 

I  confess,  that  I  am  very  sorry  to  witness  such  interference. 
These  Churches  have  survived  the  persecution  of  Centuries,  have 
kept  their  candlestick  lighted,  and  copies  of  the  Holy  Scriptures 
in  their  vernacular :  they  are  not  very  spiritual,  and  are  certainly 
very  unlearned,  and  quite  justify  their  name  of  the  Fallen 
Churches  ;  and  yet  it  goes  against  the  heart  to  see  them  swept 
away,  or  converted  into  a  parody  of  a  European  or  American 
non-Episcopal  Church  :  it  goes  without  saying,  that  no 
Episcopal  Church  would  approach  them  in  a  hostile  attitude : 
it  is  a  better  policy  to  try  to  strengthen  them,  and  reform 
them ;  to  assist  them  to  train  their  priests,  to  become  more 
spiritual,  to  give  them  the  Scriptures  and  other  rehgious 
literature  in  the  modern  Vernacular :  it  is  uphill  work,  no  doubt, 
and  the  efforts  of  the  Church  of  Rome  are  to  sow  dissension,  and 
bring  a  portion  into  their  obedience,  making  concessions  to 
gain  their  object,  such  as  sanctioning  a  married  Priesthood,  and 
the  Sacrament  to  laymen  in  both  elements :  it  is  sad  to  think, 


(     41      ) 

that  these  monuments  of  God's  Providence  should  perish  after 
the  strain  of  persecution  has  passed  away.  When  first  I  became 
acquainted  with  them  in  Africa  and  Asia,  in  1852,  I  had  some 
conversation  with  American  Missionaries,  who  told  me  that, 
when  first  they  arrived  in  the  country,  they  did  try  to  reform 
and  support  these  Churches,  but  experience  had  taught  them, 
that  it  was  hopeless,  that  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  destroy 
them.  It  is  quite  clear,  that  no  Episcopal  Mission  should  adopt 
such  a  policy :  it  would  be  better  to  leave  them  alone,  and 
receive  into  the  Mission  as  proselytes  those,  who  came  volun- 
tarily, and  were  determined  of  their  own  accord  to  leave  their 
ancient  Church :  these  again,  when  instructed,  should  be  urged 
to  go  back  again  among  their  people,  and  try  to  reform  the  old 
and  decaying  fabric. 


(      42 


Part  Ml. 
BAD    METHODS. 


I  now  come  to  the  Bad  Methods :  I  have  divided  this  Part 
into  Six  Chapters : 

I.  Leaning  on  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh. 
II.  Modes  of  Conversion. 

III.  Difficulties  attending  Conversion. 

IV.  The  Missionary  Home-Agency. 
V.  The  Mission  in  the  Field. 

VI.  The  Missionary-Agent. 

There  is  a  further  sub-division  of  each  Chapter  into  a  great 
many  Sections,  and  to  preserve  regular  and  lucid  order  I  attach 
at  the  head  of  each  Chapter  a  list  of  the  Subjects  treated  in  each 
Section.  There  will  be  an  alphabetical  Index  of  Subjects, 
which  will  give  facility  of  ready  reference  to  every  detail  of  this 
many-sided  operation. 


CAP. 

I. 


Leaning  on  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh. 


Interference  of  Civil,  Military,  or  Diplomatic,  Power. 

Receiving  endowments  from  taxes  levied  from  non- 
Christians. 

Intolerance  of  other  Religions,  or  other  forms  of  the 
same  Religion. 

Destruction,  or  appropriation,  of  Buildings  belonging 
to  another  Religion. 

Making  a  Mission  a  handle  for  political  schemes. 


(     ^3      ) 


I.    ARM    OF    THE    FLESH. 

I.   Interference  of   Civil,  Military,  or  Diplomatic, 
Power. 

A  relying  on  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh  has  been  one  of  the  sins  of 
Missionaries  from  the  earliest  centuries  to  the  present"  hour.  I 
do  not  know  which  is  more  odious,  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh  against 
the  promulgation  of  Christian  Truth,  or  in  favour  of  it :  I  really 
think,  that  the  latter  is  the  most  odious  :  it  affects  the  character 
of  the  Missionary :  instead  of  relying  on  the  Arm  of  God  he 
learns  to  truckle  to  the  Chartered  Company,  the  Local  Govern- 
ment, the  Jack  in  office,  the  Consul ;  and  this  destroys  his  holy 
energy.  *'  To  me  to  live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain :  "  that  is 
no  longer  possible,  when  he  joins  armed  forces,  as  at  U-Ganda, 
or  takes  compensation,  as  in  China,  for  the  spoiling  of  his  goods. 
I  am  obliged  to  speak  strongly  on  this  matter,  because  it  is 
the  prevailing  disease  of  timid  Missionaries,  and  short-sighted 
Committees.  Why  was  the  Church  of  Rome  so  intolerant,  and 
bloody,  at  the  time  of  the  Reformation  ?  Simply  because  it  had 
worked  its  way  to  the  Conversion  of  Europe  by  the  sword,  and 
slaughter  of  the  heathen,  and  destruction  of  their  places  of 
worship.  If  Christianity  be  introduced  by  force,  the  dominant 
Church  is  sure  to  attempt  the  reduction  of  all  other  sects  to 
subordination  in  the  same  way. 

I  should  carry  all  with  me  in  alluding  to  the  use  of  the  Arm  of 
the  Flesh  against  Christianity ;  my  thesis  is  on  the  opposite  side. 
It  is  one  of  the  topics,  which  fascinate  young  Missionaries,  and 
writers  of  articles  in  the  Missionary-periodicals,  to  describe, 
or  rather  to  assert,  that  Mahometanism  was  propagated  by  the 
sword.  The  Hindu,  or  Buddhist,  might  raise  this  objection  : 
can  the  Christian  ?  When  the  Mahometans  conquered  a  country, 
they  offered  two  alternatives:  Conversion  or  additional  Taxation: 
the  great  fact  is  patent,  that  India  was  eight  centuries  under 
Mahometan  rule,  and  its  Temples,  Priesthood,  and  Religion, 
remained  unaltered  ;  and  in  Western  Asia  the  Armenian,  Greek, 
Syrian,  and  Nestorian,  Churches,  and  in  N.  Africa  the  Coptic 
and  Ethiopic  Churches,  have  survived  to  our  time.  The 
Mahometans  loathed  the  forms  of  Christian  and  Brahmanical 
Idolatry,  which  were  presented  to  them,  but  they  spared  them ; 
but  in  Europe  not  a  vestige  of  Paganism  survived  the  fearful 
persecution,  which  accompanied  the  introduction  of  Christianity : 
the  Mahometans  and  Jews  were  nearly  driven  out  of  Europe, 
and  their  property  was  confiscated  :  all  attempts  to  reform  errors, 
or  give  rein  to  free  thought,  were  crushed  out  by  the  scaffold, 


(     44     ) 

or  the  stake.  Let  us  hear  no  more  of  Mahometanism  being  unique 
in  its  persecuting  Methods.  Each  conquering  Chief,  whether  it 
were  Olaf  of  Norway,  or  Charles  Martel  of  France,  or  the  Khalif 
Omar  of  Arabia,  or  the  Missionaries  of  the  Church  of  Rome 
up  to  the  beginning  of  this  century,  have  taken  as  their  rule  the 
verse  of  Deut.  viii  :  "Ye  shall  destroy  their  altars,  and  break 
down  their  images,  and  burn  their  graven  images  with  fire." 
At  the  same  time,  if  a  hand  were  lifted  up  against  the  Christians, 
it  was  called  wicked  persecution.  The  Asmonean  Dynasty  of 
Judaea  before  the  Christian  era  conquered  Edom,  Moab,  and 
Ammon,  and  enforced  circumcision  on  the  population  :  so  in 
Europe  Baptism  was  the  only  symbol  and  condition  of  peace : 
to  refuse  Baptism  was  to  be  a  rebel,  and  meant  war.  It  was  in 
vain,  that  men  like  Alcuin  begged  Sovereigns  and  Priests  to 
pause.  Death  was  the  penalty  of  the  absence  of  nominal  con- 
version. This  shows  how  completely  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh  was 
the  understood  weapon  of  aggressive  Christianity.  I  quote  the 
words  of  our  own  Boniface  of  Exeter  to  Daniel  Bishop  of 
Winchester  (see  Neander,  III,  p.  loo),  in  reply  to  a  letter  sug- 
gesting a  more  lenient  policy  : 

**  Sine  patrocinio  Principis  Francorum  nee  populum  regere, 
**  nee  presbyteros,  nee  diaconos,  nee  ancillas,  regere  possum, 
•*  nee  Paganorum  ritus,  et  sacrilegia,  in  Germania  sine  illius 
*'  mandate  et  timore  prohibere  valeo."  He  stamped  out  all 
independent  attempts  at  Evangelization,  put  a  stop  to  the 
divergencies  of  the  earlier  British  Missions,  and  substituted 
Italian  Ecclesiasticism :  if  he  never  baptized  by  force,  he 
destroyed  the  places  of  worship  of  the  Pagans  by  force.  All  the 
religion  taught  by  him  was:  (i)  building  churches,  (2)  hunting 
after  relics,  (3)  securing  protection  of  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh  by 
gifts  and  ritual,  (4)  worshipping  statues,  (5)  making  pilgrimages. 
Later  on,  the  Teutonic  Knights  completed  the  Conversion  of 
Europe  by  killing  down  the  heathen,  very  much  as  English 
free  lances  do  to  the  Ma-Tab61e  in  1894,  and  giving  the  land  to 
German  colonists.  Centuries  later  a  French  Biographer  of 
Xavier  remarks,  that  the  most  efficacious  means  of  Conversion, 
used  by  Xavier,  was  to  gain  to  God  those  persons,  who  were 
most  considerable  in  their  truth  and  dignity.  In  1843  a 
Bampton  lecturer  remarked,  that  such  means  were  too  much 
neglected  by  ourselves.  Absit  omen  1  Surely  the  great  Charter 
is,  that  the  poor  have  the  Gospel  preached  to  them  :  Paul  did 
not  commence  with  Caesar's  household.  It  is  sad  to  think,  that 
Augustine  of  Hippo  quoted  from  our  Lord's  parable  the  words 
"  Compel  them  to  come  in,"  as  a  justification  of  his  cruelties, 
not  against  the  Pagans,  who  knew  not  Christ,  but  against 
Sectarians  of  his  own  religion.  A  swift  punishment  came  upon 
him,  and  the  African  Church ;  and  I  thought  of  these  words  of 


(     45     ) 

his,  as  I  stood  a  few  years  ago  on  the  spot,  where  he  was  buried, 
as  he  perished  during  the  siege  of  Hippo. 

**  A  Duke  of  Poland,  who  had  himself  become  only  in  out- 
**  ward  form  a  Christian  at  the  request  of  his  wife,  determined 
**  that  his  subjects  should  be  so  also,  and  that  anyone,  who 
**  did  not  fast  at  Easter,  should  lose  his  teeth.  A  Bishop 
**  remarked  on  hearing  of  this  order,  that  the  roughest  treat- 
*'  ment  was  required  ifor  a  people,  who  were  no  better  than 
"  cattle  ;  and  that,  as  they  were  stubborn,  religion  must  be 
*'  beaten  into  them." — Maclear:   Slavs,  p.  iii,  S.P.C.K. 

One  writer  remarks  cynically,  that  "Conversions  made  by  force 
*'  were  quite  as  permanent  as  those,  which  are  made  in  the 
*'  legitimate  way.  The  Conversions  made  by  Mahometans,  and 
"  the  Church  of  Rome,  have  been  as  stable  as  those  made  by  the 
"  Conversion  of  individual  souls.  In  one  or  two  generations  the 
**  new  faith  becomes  hereditary,  and  in  a  blind,  senseless  way  is 
"  clung  to  as  tenaciously,  as  was  the  old  exploded  religious  con- 
"  ceptions."  I  fear  that  in  an  epoch  of  intense  ignorance  this  may 
be  the  case.  What  became  of  the  Christian  Churches  of  Syria, 
Egypt,  and  N.  Africa  ?  the  great  mass  of  the  ignorant  herd  were 
swept  into  the  Mahometan  net,  and  there  they  remained.  But 
in  an  age  of  higher  intelligence,  and  faithful  record,  this  seems 
to  be  impossible. 

The  opposition  manifested  against  Christianity  by  the  Slavs 
and  Teutons  far  exceeded  that  offered  by  any  Asiatic  race  in 
modern  times  :  it  is  of  no  use  attributing  the  crimes,  which 
both  the  Pagans  and  Christians  committed,  to  the  epoch  and 
the  environment  :  if  an  attempt  were  made  in  modern  times  to 
spread  Christianity  by  the  same  Methods,  say  in  Zululand,  or 
the  Niger-Basin,  or  Tunisia,  the  result  would  be  the  same  :  to 
me  the  fault  seems  to  be  entirely  on  the  side  of  the  Christian 
Missionary  :  merciless  intolerance,  force,  fraud,  spoliation, 
destruction  of  temples,  were  the  Methods  used  :  there  were  no 
schools,  nor  hospitals,  nor  kindly  visits  to  the  village-homes, 
no  exhibition  of  Christian  example,  no  preaching  in  the  Ver- 
nacular, or  Bible-reading  ;  the  native  languages  were  pro- 
scribed :  foreign  Priests  drove  an  ignorant  herd  to  be  baptized 
by  thousands  in  a  river:  a  mere  nominal  Conversion  was  the 
result :  and  this  was  urged  on  by  Christian  Potentates  in  the 
name  of  Christ,  while  the  same  Potentates  led  evil,  lustful,  lives. 
We  know  now  the  pedigree  of  the  Inquisition  at  the  time  of 
the  Reformation :  the  lesson  had  been  learnt  from  the  original 
Conversion  of  the  heathen:  a  Pope  wrote  to  his  agent  in  Servia 
to  deal  gently  with  the  Pagan,  but  to  allow  no  one  of  these 
nominal  Christians  to  relapse  without  the  extreme  punishment : 
we  complain  of  the  Mahometan  Law  in  Turkey  and  Persia :  was 
not,  is  not,  this  still  the  Law  of  Rome  } 


(     46     ) 

No  excuse  can  be  reasonably  offered.  Life  and  liberty  were 
as  valuable  then  to  the  poor  herd  in  Europe,  as  it  is  in  Asia 
and  Africa  now :  there  was  an  individual  existence  of  a  body, 
soul,  and  spirit,  in  each  of  God's  creatures  then  as  now,  but  the 
spiritual  Priest  and  temporal  Ruler  chose  to  overbear  individual 
rights  and  feelings.  When  the  Missionaries,  and  the  compiler 
of  the  Mission-Report,  use  their  favourite  epithets  "  fanatic 
and  bigoted,"  let  them  recollect  to  whom  these  terms  more 
particularly  apply.  When  the  Mahometans  in  their  hour  of 
conquest  played  the  same  game  in  Christian  countries,  loud  was 
the  outcry  against  their  Intolerance,  and  Cruelty,  but  the 
Christians  had  acted,  and  were  still  acting,  in  the  same  way : 
they  were  convinced  of  the  truth  of  their  own  views,  and  had 
no  scruple  in  enforcing  them  upon  Mahometans,  Pagans,  and 
heretics  :  the  Mahometans  were  equally  convinced  and  equally 
unscrupulous.  When  learned  Bishops  undertake  to  show,  that 
the  progress  of  the  Conversion  of  the  world  in  the  nineteenth 
century  is  proceeding  as  rapidly  as,  or  even  more  rapidly  than, 
the  Conversion  of  Europe  in  the  first  thousand  years  of  the 
Christian  era,  they  should  not  omit  to  draw  attention  to  the 
difference  of  Methods  :  there  is  now,  with  slight  exceptions, 
entire  Toleration  on  the  part  of  all  civilized  Governments :  the 
Intolerance  of  modern  times  is  protection  of  old  Faiths,  rather 
than  the  Intolerance  of  a  new  Faith  on  the  War-Path,  as  I  have 
above  described. 

The  saddest  feature  remains.  In  the  presence  of  religious 
Intolerance  all  feelings  of  equity,  pity,  and  patience,  disappear. 
Even  modern  writers  of  esteemed  works,  and  the  whole  host  of 
compilers  of  periodical  religious  literature,  appear  to  forget  that 
deep-rooted  principle  of  Justice,  which  springs  from  a  firm 
conviction  on  their  part  of  their  own  religious  Belief,  and  the 
noble  rule  to  do  to,  and  say  of,  others  what  they  would  wish 
that  men  should  do  to,  and  say  of,  them.  Historians  speak 
with  praise  of  a  King,  who  in  past  centuries  forbade  his  subjects 
to  perform  the  rites  of  Paganism.  Think  of  that :  Missionaries 
in  Turkey,  Persia,  and  China,  or  Bishops  like  Augustine  of 
Hippo,  expelled  so-called  heretics  from  their  churches,  and 
deprived  them  of  their  means  of  living.  They  would  loudly 
complain,  as  the  Missionaries  of  Rome  do  now,  of  the  least 
persecution  of  themselves.  It  makes  me  smile,  when  I  read  my 
weekly  Misu'ons  Catholiques  from  Lyons  in  France  of  per- 
secution perhaps  in  India,  or  the  British  or  German  sphere, 
in  Africa. 

Quis  tulerit  Gracchos  de  seditione  querentes  } 

Cannot  all  Missionaries,  Protestant  or  Romish,  realize  the 
fact,  that  God  is  a  Spirit,  and  must  be  worshipped  in  spirit,  and 


(     47     ) 

not  at  the  point  of  the  sword,  or  with  the  help  of  the  Rifle  and 
Maxim-gun,  that  He  in  His  wisdom,  and  longsuflering,  permits 
these  non-Christian  races  to  increase  and  multiply,  and  prosper, 
and  that  it  is  not  good  to  be  less  merciful  to  them,  than  God. 

I  have  dealt  at  length  on  this  subject,  for  the  tendency  is  so 
insidious  :  the  story  of  U-Ganda  sadly  illustrates  the  danger : 
those,  who  have  not  read  Church-History,  as  recorded  in 
books  published  by  the  Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Christian 
Knowledge,  would  say,  that  it  was  impossible,  that  Christians 
should  in  past  centuries  have  acted  in  this  way ;  but  my 
experience  of  fifty  years  tells  me,  that  it  is  in  the  heart  of 
many  men  even  at  this  day,  that  they  have  a  right  and  duty  to 
make  use  of  every  power,  opportunity,  influence.  Method,  just 
or  iniquitous,  to  bring  Salvation,  after  their  conception  of 
the  word,  to  the  non-Christian  World. 

I  now  practically  apply  the  principles  to  the  present  Epoch. 
The  Empires  of  Austria  and  Russia  allow  of  no  Missionaries 
within  their  European  dominions ;  and  I  heard,  on  the  occasion 
of  a  deputation  to  the  Foreign  Office,  Lord  Salisbury  remark, 
that  all  the  Powers  assert  the  unquestionable  right  of  expelling 
Missionaries  from  their  Colonies  at  their  own  good  pleasure. 
France  makes  the  conditions  of  Evangelizing  in  her  Colonies  so 
difficult,  that  the  task  is  all  but  hopeless.  No  language  but  the 
French  is  allowed.  A  writer  in  1889  blames  the  French 
Government  for  not  having  added  to  the  conquest  of  Algeria 
the  conversion  of  the  inhabitants  by  force  or  influence :  it  was 
on  the  cards,  but  the  deposition  of  Charles  X  and  the  elevation 
of  Louis  Philippe  arrested  the  precious  scheme.  A  Priest  of 
Rome  thus  writes : 

**  Les  indigenes  s'y  attendaient  eux-memes,  car  chez  eux 
''  I'absurde  idee  de  separer  la  religion  de  la  conduite  des  choses 
*'  humaines  n'est  pas  encore  entree  dans  les  esprits,  et  le  jour 
*'  meme  de  la  prise  d'Afrique  la  population  terrific  demandait  a 
"  grande  cris,  si  on  lui  laisserait  la  vie  sauve  a  condition  qu'elle 
**  embrasserait  la  religion  des  fran9ais." — Missions  Catholiques 
d''Afrique,  p.  11. 

It  is  not  often,  that  an  opinion  so  abominable,  based  on  facts 
so  false,  has  been  expressed.  Directly  the  Franco-German 
war  broke  out  in  1870,  both  sections  of  the  Mahometan  popula- 
tion of  Algeria  burst  out  into  rebellion,  and  were  with  difficulty 
reconquered  after  the  Peace. 

British  India  presents  the  most  extreme  contrast.  The  Go- 
vernment treats  Missionaries  of  all  nationalities  with  the  same 
impartial  benevolence,  interferes  with  none,  asks  no  questions, 
enforces  no  orders,  except  the  necessity  of  obeying  the  common 
law  of  the  country,  and  makes  grants  for  educational  purposes 
to  all  indifferently  on  the  same  conditions,  whether  Protestant 


(     48     ) 

or  Roman  Catholic,  British  or  alien.  They  may  conduct  their 
operations  in  the  language,  which  suits  them  best ;  they  may 
own  lands,  erect  buildings,  move  to  and  fro  just  as  they  like ; 
no  passports  are  asked  for ;  there  is  no  jealousy  of  the  French- 
man or  the  German  on  the  part  of  the  Briton ;  no  ejection  of 
Missionaries,  as  has  been  the  case  of  Mr.  Jones  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society,  at  Lifu  in  the  Loyalty  Islands,  by  the  French  ; 
no  expulsion  of  the  whole  Mission,  as  has  happened  to  the 
British  Baptists  at  the  hands  of  the  Germans  at  the  Kameruns 
in  W.  Africa ;  no  exclusion  of  French  Roman  Catholics,  as  is 
the  case  in  this  same  German  Colony ;  no  practical  extinction 
of  religious  schools  by  State  laws  of  education,  as  has  happened 
to  the  American  Missionaries  in  the  French  colony  of  W.  Africa 
on  the  Gaboon,  and  to  English  Missionaries  on  the  West  Coast 
of  Africa  and  the  Gambia,  and  in  the  French  colony  of  Algeria 
and  Tunisia.  I  quote  two  speeches  of  Earl  Northbrook, 
Viceroy  of  India : 

"  I  believe  that  the  natives  of  India  are  thoroughly  satisfied, 
"  that  the  British  Government  has  no  desire  to  force  upon  them 
**  the  Christian  religion  by  any  improper  means,  and  that  all  that 
"  the  British  Government  gives  is  a  fair  field  to  the  Missionaries, 
*•  who  are  in  the  country.  That,  again,  to  my  mind,  is  a  right 
**  and  just  principle,  that  Government  should  not  interfere  with 
**  religion.  It  received  the  cordial  adherence  of  William  Carey 
"  years  and  years  ago.  I  find  he  used  upon  that  occasion  these 
**  words  :  *  Whatever  Government  may  do,  let  it  not  touch  my 
**  work.  It  can  only  succeed  in  making  men  hypocrites;  I  wish 
**  to  make  them  Christians.*  I  say,  then,  that  the  natives  of 
**  India  understand  the  position  of  the  Government.  I  can  say 
**  more.  I  have  come  in  contact  with  many  Missionaries  in 
"  India,  and  I  have  talked  with  them  upon  the  condition  of  the 
*'  people ;  and  I  am  satisfied  that  many  Missionaries,  by  not 
**  being  connected  with  the  Government,  have  more  of  the 
**  confidence  of  the  people  in  India  than  is  given  to  the  officers 
•*  of  the  Government;  and  I  have,  on  several  occasions,  found 
•*  advantage  from  obtaining  from  sensible  Missionaries  their 
*•  opinion  of  the  feelings  of  the  people  with  respect  to  the 
'*  measures  of  the  Government." 
And  again : 

*'  Nothing  in  my  opinion  could  be  more  entirely  alien  to  the 
*'  feelings  of  Henry  Venn,  who  of  all  men  I  ever  knew  was  the 
"  most  interested  in  Missionary-work,  and  the  wisest  conductor 
**  of  Missionary-operations,  than  that  Missionaries  of  any  kind 
•*  should  be  betrayed  into  using  physical  force  to  control  the 
**  Natives  of  the  country  to  which  they  are  sent.  Missionaries 
'*  must  be  prepared,  if  they  go  to  foreign  countries,  to  carry 
**  their  lives  in  their  hands.     They  have  lost  their  lives  on  former 


(     49     ) 

*'  occasions,  and  it  is  needless  to  say,  that  a  man  in  that  posi- 
"  tion,  taking  the  Message  of  God  to  the  Natives  of  Africa,  is 
"  bound  to  lose  his  life  rather  than  use  physical  force." 

I  notice  excellent  remarks  in  the  Periodical  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society,  July  1881,  deprecating  the  despatch  of  ships 
of  war  to  avenge  the  slaughter  of  their  Missionaries  in  Papua. 
In  strong  contrast  with  this  appears  the  conduct  of  the  American 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions  in  the  Caroline  Islands,  which 
belong  to  the  Kingdom  of  Spain.  The  Missionary- Society 
complained  to  the  Government  of  the  United  States,  that  their 
Missionaries  had  been  turned  out  of  the  Island,  very  much 
as  Mr.  Jones  was  turned  out  of  the  Loyalty  Islands  by  the 
French.  The  United  States-Government  sent  a  man-of-war, 
and  restored  the  Missionary  to  his  Islands.  The  Captain  in  his 
letter  advised  all  Americans,  whether  Christians  or  not,  to  go 
down  on  their  knees  and  return  thanks  to  God  for  having  been  born 
a  "free  American."  These  alien  Missionaries  were  encouraged 
by  an  alien  Power  to  defy  the  constituted  Authority  of  three 
hundred  years :  it  may  be  wondered  how  the  Gospel  of  Peace 
can  be  preached  under  such  circumstances,  and  we  cease  to 
wonder,  that  the  great  Continental  Powers  assert  the  principle 
of  exclusion.  Germany,  in  starting  her  Colonial  Empire,  laid 
down  the  principle  of  only  German  Missions  in  German 
Colonies :  the  Missionary  is  to  be  chaplain  to  German  subjects, 
to  work  for  German  interests,  use  the  German  language  only, 
and  make  his  converts  good  German  subjects.  The  long- 
suffering  Government  of  India  puts  up  with  the  impertinent 
intrusions  of  ill-judging  Missionaries  in  the  conduct  of  secular 
affairs  :  it  must  be  remarked,  that  in  British  India  the  Mis- 
sionaries of  Rome,  whether  French,  Spanish,  Portuguese,  or 
English,  have  never  given  the  least  trouble,  or  meddled  with 
subjects,  which  did  not  concern  them.  The  Protestants  are  the 
busybody  meddlers. 

In  1894,  Mr.  Leatham,  M.P.,  used  in  the  House  of  Commons 
the  following  expressions :  I  was  sorry  to  read  them,  being 
unable  to  deny,  that  instances  have  occurred  to  justify  the  attack. 
*'  The  right  hon.  Member  for  Bradford  had  advocated  the  claims 
**  of  the  Missionaries  to  protection,  but,  in  his  opinion,  the 
"  Missionaries  exercised  no  public  function  whatever.  The 
"  Missionaries  were  merely  religious  freebooters,  who  filibustered 
**  upon  the  territories  of  other  people.  Either  we  must  double 
"  our  Standing  Army  in  order  to  enable  us  to  protect  our 
**  Missionaries,  or  we  must  recall  those  Missionaries  from 
**  exposed  positions." 

Even  in  the  little  island  of  Mauritius,  where  the  majority  of 
the  inhabitants  are  non-Christians,  and  of  the  Christian  minority 
the  greater  part  are  French-speaking  Members  of  the  Church  of 


(     50     ) 

Rome,  I  read  in  the  English  Bishop's  charge  of  1892  evidence, 
that  the  EngHsh  Protestant  Missionary  is  as  it  were  trading  on 
English  prestige  in  the  Island. 

But  it  is  the  Empires  of  Turkey  and  China,  the  Kingdom  of 
Persia,  and  East  Equatorial  Africa,  that  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh 
has  been  appealed  to  by  Missionaries  in  these  days  in  the  most 
marked  manner,  and  I  proceed  to  notice  them  seriatim. 

I  take  up  the  Empire  of  Turkey  first.  It  was  founded  very 
much  in  the  same  way,  as  the  British  Empire,  by  the  conquest 
of  inferior  races,  and  small  kingdoms,  by  a  strong  martial  and 
superior  race,  the  Osmanli  Turki.  The  Empire  is  now  in  its 
decadence,  owing  to  the  superior  strength  of  its  great  Christian 
neighbours,  and  its  hopelessly  bad  administration.  I  have 
traversed  a  great  part  of  it,  seeking  lessons  in  the  art  of 
governing  subject  races,  which  was  my  profession  in  British 
India.  The  subject  races  are  Christian :  the  dominant  race  is 
Mahometan:  there  is  much  sympathy  felt  in  Europe  .and  North 
America  for  the  oppressed  Christians  :  is  that  sympathy  expressed 
wisely  } 

I  find  in  Reports  of  Missionary-Societies  the  following  lines  : 
"  Thanks  to  the  American  Consul  at  Constantinople  for  efficient 
"  service  in  defending  the  rights  and  liberties  of  American 
"  Missionaries  in  the  Turkish  Empire."  We  have  only  to 
imagine  the  change  of  the  word  "British  India"  for  "Turkish 
Empire " :  how  should  we  tolerate  the  interference  of  the 
American  Consul  at  Calcutta  ? 

It  has  already  been  remarked,  in  Part  II,  that  the  question  of 
Education  is  one  of  the  prerogatives  of  the  Ruling  Power  of  each 
country.  Imagine  a  Roman  Catholic  Sovereign,  or  the  Sultan  of 
Turkey,  trying  to  interfere  with  the  system  of  Public  Education, 
secular  or  religious,  in  these  islands.  The  Sultan  of  Turkey  is 
trying  to  introduce  the  French  and  Russian  system  into  his 
dominions,  viz. :  ( i )  that  no  school  shall  be  held  without  a  special 
permit  from  the  Ottoman  authorities  ;  (2)  that  all  schools  shall 
be  under  Turkish  inspection  ;  (3)  that  no  Mission-school  shall 
admit  Mahometan  pupils.  A  Bill  now  under  consideration 
tends  to  give  legal  sanction  to  the  restrictions,  from  which  the 
Missionary-Societies  are  suffering,  and  will  prevent  them,  and 
the  Bible-Societies,  from  selling  even  authorized  books  in  all 
parts  of  Turkey.  A  decree  was  issued  last  year,  forbidding 
Missionaries  to  use  their  houses  as  churches  or  schools  without 
a  special  Imperial  firman. 

The  right  of  the  Missionaries  to  carry  on  their  work  in 
Turkey  is  established  by  different  international  conventions, 
and  amongst  others  by  the  French  and  British  Capitulations, 
the  Treaty  of  Berlin,  and  by  private  agreements  with  the 
United    States.      Moreover,    until    lately,   the   attitude   of  the 


(     51     ) 

Porte  towards  Foreign  Missions  had  given  no  ground  for  com- 
plaint. Evidently  the  present  Intolerance  is  prompted  from 
abroad.  There  is  ample  room  for  a  little  plain  speaking  on 
the  part  of  the  English  Foreign  Office.  As  a  rule  the  Govern- 
ment shows  a  disinclination  to  espouse  the  cause  of  the  Foreign 
Missions,  and  possibly  it  may  have  its  reasons  for  it ;  but  in 
this  instance  it  is  plainly  the  duty  of  the  authorities  at  home  to 
remind  the  Turks  of  their  obligations,  and  to  appeal  to  the 
Sultan's  sense  of  right  and  justice  on  behalf  of  the  Missionary 
work. 

Here  again  in  public  print  the  crave  for  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh 
is  more  distinctly  put  forth,  1892. 

**  It  appears  under  these  circumstances  to  be  of  great  import- 
"  ance  to  the  Bible  and  Missionary-Societies,  that  the  Home- 
"  Governments  should  instruct  their  Diplomatic  and  Consular 
"  Agents  in  Turkey  to  intervene  and  remonstrate  against  edicts, 
**  laws  or  decrees,  which  set  aside  or  restrict  the  long-established 
"  rights  of  these  Societies.  The  right  of  protection  of  both  the 
"  persons,  and  the  establishments,  of  Missionaries  in  Turkey  is 
"  clearly  assigned  to  the  Powers  by  the  62nd  Article  of  the 
*•  Treaty  of  Berlin." 

The  Turkish  Government  has  been  roused  out  of  its  usual 
passive  and  sleepy  state  by  the  overbearing  conduct  of  the 
British  and  American  Missionaries  :  Russia,  Austria,  and  France, 
would  not  put  up  for  an  instant  with  such  insolent  conduct. 
It  was  not  so  formerly,  but  it  has  increased  in  late  years,  and 
there  are  signs,  that  the  British  Government  will  not  support 
their  subjects  in  acts  of  defiance  to  the  municipal  law  of  the 
countries,  in  which  they  carry  on  their  operations,  hitherto 
peaceful  and  in  conformity  with  the  laws  of  the  country.  The 
Missionary  has  no  right  to  raise  the  question,  whether  a  muni- 
cipal law  is  right  or  wrong :  he  must  obey  or  leave  the  country. 

I  have  twice  visited  the  Empire  of  Turkey,  with  a  view  of 
contrasting  their  system  of  governing  conquered  Provinces  with 
the  British  system  in  India.  I  was  sitting  in  the  Divan  with 
the  Pasha  of  Damascus,  when  a  European  Consul  was  intro- 
duced, who  hectored  and  bullied  the  Pasha  while  actually  on 
the  seat  of  Judgment.  I  had  myself  governed  large  Asiatic 
districts,  and  recognized  the  salient  features  of  the  complaint 
as  of  not  uncommon  character.  The  Turk  smoked,  and  bore 
the  abuse  stolidly,  at  least  to  outward  appearance.  I  felt  for  him, 
and  felt  also,  that  if  any  representative  of  any  Power  in  the 
world  had  behaved  in  such  a  manner  in  my  Office,  I  should 
have  had  him  turned  out  forthwith,  and,  if  he  repeated  such 
conduct,  should  have  fined  him  for  contempt  of  Court,  and 
looked  to  my  own  Government  to  support  me.  The  British 
Magistrate  and  Consul  know,  that  the  best  Missionaries  give 


(     52     ) 

them  the  least  trouble,  if,  indeed,  they  give  any  at  all.  The 
argument,  that  the  Consuls  of  other  Nations  have  succeeded  in 
compelling  an  unwilling  Government  to  make  concessions,  is  an 
unworthy  one,  and  not  always  true.  In  a  discussion  in  a 
British  Committee-Room  in  my  presence  about  troubles  in 
China,  a  Secretary  to  an  American  Board  of  Missions,  who 
happened  to  be  present,  was  asked  how  it  happened,  that  their 
Missionaries  were  always  backed  by  their  Consul.  The  reply 
was  an  expression  of  surprise  on  the  part  of  the  American 
Secretary,  and  the  dry  remark,. that  his  Missionaries  complained, 
that  the  British  Missionaries  were  always  backed  by  the  British 
Consul,  while  the  American  Consul  refused  to  interfere.  I 
have  no  love  for  the  irrepressible  Turk,  and  I  have  traversed 
great  parts  of  Turkey,  and  studied  its  system,  which  is  bad, 
thoroughly  bad ;  yet  I  cannot  excuse  Missionaries  of  gross 
violation  of  the  first  principles  of  duty  of  an  alien  permitted  to 
reside  in  a  foreign  country. 

I  visited  a  celebrated  city  in  Turkey,  and  found  that  the 
Medical-Missionary  was  in  great  distress,  because  the  Governor 
had  stopped  the  erection  of  his  new  Hospital.  I  visited  it :  it 
was  on  a  lofty  hill  commanding  the  town,  and  had  the 
appearance  and  reality  of  a  fort,  with  walls  pierced  for 
musquetry,  and  embrasures  for  guns.  Any  hospital  built  on 
such  a  site,  and  in  such  a  style,  in  British  India,  at  Banaras,  or 
Amritsar,  would  have  been  dismantled  at  once.  In  the  case  of 
trouble  it  would  have  been  at  once  occupied  by  rebels,  and 
nothing  but  a  siege  would  take  it.  And  yet  the  Doctor  abused 
the  Turk  1 

A  Missionary-Society  bought,  and  got  possession  of,  a  house 
with  a  title  open  to  objections,  possibly  false,  and  was  sued  for 
ejectment,  and  cast :  the  decision  was  confirmed  on  appeal. 
Letters  were  written  to  London,  and  a  certain  benevolent 
Nobleman  was  induced  to  write  letters  to  the  Ambassador  at 
Constantinople :  he  brought  a  pressure  on  the  Sublime  Porte : 
orders  were  issued  by  the  Executive  to  the  Provincial  Court  to 
cancel  the  order.  I  have  been  many  years  a  Judge  in  an 
Oriental  Country,  and  felt  ashamed  of  my  countrymen.  The 
humblest  Native  Judge  in  British  India  would  decline  to  alter 
his  decree  to  please  the  Executive  authorities. 

Let  us  pass  on  to  Persia,  another  ill-governed  Mahometan 
State :  it  is  sad  to  think,  that  in  this  very  year  an  ordained 
Missionary  has  put  forth  the  following  plea,  distinctly  appealing 
to  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh :  he  knew  very  well,  that  a  Swedish,  a 
Danish,  a  Swiss,  a  Portuguese,  Missionary  would  have  to  submit 
in  silence  ;  but  he  is  a  subject  of  a  powerful  State,  the  Agent  of  a 
powerful  Missionary-Society,  and  he  distinctly  desires,  that  the 
British  Government  should  coerce  our  friend  the  Shah  of  Persia. 


(     53     ) 

*'  It  is  only  right  that  those,  who  take  an  interest  in  Christian 
"  Missions,  should  understand,  that  one  of  the  main  difficulties  in 
*'  the  way  of  the  conversion  of  the  Mahometans  to  Christianity 
*'  consists  in  the  attitude,  which  the  English  Government  assumes 
**  through  its  representatives  in  Mahometan  lands  towards  the 
"  spread  of  the  Gospel.  In  China  or  Japan,  the  English  Govern- 
"  ment,  if  it  interferes  at  all,  interferes  to  secure  to  Christian 
"  Missionaries  liberty  to  proclaim  Salvation  through  Christ.  In 
"  Central  Africa,  if  our  Government  be  unable  to  afford  any  pro- 
"  tection  to  Missionaries,  it  at  least  puts  no  obstacle  in  their  way. 
"  But  for  some  unknown  reason  there  seems  to  exist  a  belief,  that 
"  Islam  must  be  treated  with  more  consideration  than  other  false 
"  faiths.  Turkey  is  allowed  to  impose  much  more  stringent 
''  limitations  on  Christian  Missionary  enterprise  than  is  China 
"  or  Japan.  Any  infringement  of  such  restrictions  is  liable  to 
"  bring  punishment,  in  inflicting  which  our  own  Government 
"  directly  countenances  that  of  the  Sultan.  In  Persia  something 
"  of  a  similar  kind  is  true ;  and  an  attempt  is  now  apparently 
*'  being  made,  under  the  countenance  and  with  the  support  of 
*'  the  English  Government,  to  prohibit  altogether  all  attempts 
"  to  bring  Mahometans  to  the  knowledge  of  Christ." 

The  Persian  Government,  rightly  or  wrongly,  objects  to  the 
Missionary  opening  a  Dispensary  and  a  shop  for  selling  Bibles, 
in  the  town  of  Ispahan :  the  British  Minister  has  supported  the 
Consul  in  his  policy  of  obedience  to  the  orders  of  the  Persian 
authorities.  The  Persian  Government  now  forbid  the  use  of  a 
Press,  the  attendance  of  Mahometans  at  schools,  the  teaching 
of  Christianity  to  the  Mahometans,  and  the  selling  of  Bibles, 
and  the  Medical-Mission  work  of  Christian  women  among 
Mahometan  v/omen.  It  is  gathered  from  a  letter  of  the  British 
Minister,  that  the  Persian  Government  is  quite  within  its  right, 
that  the  condition,  on  which  Missionaries  are  allowed  to  reside 
in  Persia,  is  that  they  do  not  proselytize  among  Mahometans, 
that  full  liberty  is  given  to  Missionaries  as  regards  all  non- 
Mahometan  communities,  but  no  interference  with  Mahometans 
can  be  tolerated.  This  is  what  in  Missionary-parlance  is  called 
"the  door  being  closed"  :  it  was  so  in  many  Roman  Catholic 
countries  ;  it  is  so  in  the  Empire  of  Russia. 

It  is  to  be  regretted,  that  the  Shah  of  Persia  should  be  so  ill- 
advised  as  to  persecute  the  new  sect  in  his  kingdom,  the  Babi, 
and  to  oppose  the  introduction  of  Christianity;  we  must  recollect, 
how  weak  his  authority  is :  the  prejudice  of  the  nation  is 
against  the  foreign  religion,  and  it  is  idle  to  suppose,  that  in 
these  days  the  British  Government  will  attempt  to  use  the  Arm 
of  the  Flesh :  our  Lord's  distinct  command  was  :  "  If  they 
persecute  you  in  one  city,  flee  into  another"  ;  and  such  was  the 
practice  of  Paul.     A  Missionary  in  1894  desires  the  practices  of 


(     54     ) 

the  worst  period  of  the  Middle  Ages  to  be  brought  back.  The 
Persian  Mission  was  forced  upon  the  Society,  which  supports  it, 
against  its  better  judgment,  and  has  hitherto  worked  chiefly 
among  Christians  of  the  Armenian  Church  at  Julfa.  Now  that 
it  commences  real  work  against  the  Mahometans,  it  finds  itself 
checked.  It  is  just  possible,  that  greater  judiciousness,  and  a 
spirit  of  gentle  conciliation,  may  enable  the  Missionary  to  carry 
on  some  of  the  minor  work  of  the  Mission.  We  may  well 
inquire,  who  the  fanatics  are  in  this  case  :  the  King  and  his 
people,  who  wish  to  be  left  alone  in  the  religious  conviction, 
which  they  have  held  for  a  thousand  years,  or  the  impetuous 
foreigner,  who  desires  the  assistance  of  the  diplomatic  force  of 
Great  Britain  to  enable  him  to  carry  on  his  operations  in  a 
country,  where  his  presence  is  not  acceptable  ?  Let  him  go 
elsewhere  :  whoever  sent  a  Missionary  into  Arabia  with  any 
profit  ?  The  new  British  Minister  to  Persia  is  well  acquainted 
with  Afghanistan:  not  only  does  the  Amir  allow  no  Missionaries 
to  settle  in  his  kingdom,  but  he  is  authorized  to  deport  at  once 
into  British  territory  any  British  Missionary,  who  ventures  across 
the  frontier  line  :  Discretion  is  a  part  of  Valour. 

But  the  Empire  of  China  is  the  most  lamentable  field  of 
exhibition  of  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh  in  the  interest  of  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel.  The  Missionaries  say,  that  Indian 
opium  was  forced  upon  China :  that  may  be  a  question  for 
future  historians  to  decide  :  there  can  be  no  question,  that 
Missionaries  were  forced  upon  China:  **  Take  away  your 
Missionaries  and  your  opium,"  said  Prince  Kung,  but  the  nut 
was  too  hard  for  him  to  crack. 

A  late  travelling  ]\I.P.  remarks  as  follows  in  the  Times'.  **The 
**  political  drawbacks  to  the  Missionaries'  work  are  no  less  ex- 
"  clusively  matters  of  their  own  creation.  China  can  never 
"  forget  that,  unlike  the  Christians  in  early  Rome,  in  early  Gaul, 
**  or  in  early  Britain,  they  owe  their  admission  here  to  no  tacit 
**  acquiescence  on  her  own  part,  much  less  to  any  expressed 
"  desire  ;  but  solely  to  the  coercion  of  a  superior  and  victorious 
**  strength.  Each  station  is  a  sardonic  reminder  to  them,  that 
*•  they  have  been  made  to  pass  under  the  Caudine  Forks.  Nay, 
**  not  merely  does  it  recall  the  national  humiliation,  but  it  is 
"  also  a  badge  of  the  continued  ascendency  of  an  alien  power, 
"  still  maintained,  as  it  was  originally  introduced,  by  force. 
**  Nor  is  this  impression  diminished  by  the  attitude  of  the 
**  Missionaries  themselves,  many  of  whom,  though  they  buckle 
**  on  their  armour  as  the  soldiers  of  Christ,  remember  only,  in 
**  times  of  peril,  that  they  are  citizens  of  this  or  that  Empire  or 
••  Republic,  and  clamour  for  a  gunboat,  with  which  to  insure 
"  respect  for  the  Gospel.  To  this  too  ready  appeal  to  the 
"  physical  sanction  of  a  national  flag,  there  are  many  honourable 


(     55     ) 

"  exceptions:  men  who  carry  their  lives  in  their  hands,  and  un- 
**  complainingly  submit  to  indignities,  which  they  have  undertaken 
**  to  endure  in  a  higher  cause  than  that  of  their  nationality. 
"  Nevertheless  the  presence  of  the  Missionary-bodies  as  a  whole 
"  in  the  country  is  a  constant  anxiety  to  the  Legations,  by 
**  whom  in  the  last  resort  their  interests,  resting  as  they  do 
**  upon  Treaties,  must  be  defended ;  and  is  equally  distasteful  to 
**  the  Chinese  Government,  which  frequently  finds  itself  called 
"  upon  to  reprimand  a  native  official,  or  to  punish  a  local  com- 
**  munity,  at  the  cost  of  great  odium  to  itself.  In  some  districts 
"  the  unpopularity  of  the  Missionaries  has  been  increased  by 
**  the  special  privileges,  which  they  are  disposed  to  claim  on 
"  behalf  of  native  converts  engaged  in  litigation  or  other 
**  disputes." 

In  the  Missionary  Review  of  the  World,  Boston,  U.S.,  1894, 
I  read  that  *'the  Rev.  John  Ross,  the  veteran  Missionary  of 
*'  Manchuria,  has  reached  the  conviction,  that  China  will  never 
*'  be  won  to  the  Gospel  by  an  appeal  to  the  Secular  Power  to 
"  intervene  in  every  little  trouble  we  may  experience.  This 
"  appeal  to  Caesar,  or  the  Gunboat,  simply  deepens  in  the 
**  mind  of  the  patriotic  Chinese,  the  belief,  that  the  Missionary 
**  is  a  political  Agent,  and  this  hinders  Christianity  more  than 
"  any  other  causes  combined." 

The  late  Earl  of  Shaftesbury  at  the  Annual  Meeting  of  the 
China  Inland  Mission,  1889,  made  the  following  remarks: 

"  I  was  more  struck  with  the  paragraph,  which  said  :  *  Our 
"  brethren,  who  have  been  permitted  to  take  the  journeys,  have 
"  given  practical  demonstration  to  the  Church  of  God,  that 
'*  China  is  opened,  that  the  people  of  China  are  accessible, 
"  that  if  they  are  treated  with  courtesy  and  kindness,  and  if  on 
**  the  part  of  the  Missionary  there  be  no  assumption  of  National 
"  superiority,  no  undue  insistence  upon  Treaty-Rights,  but  rather 
**  the  according  to  the  Chinese  willingly  and  not  by  constraint 
"  the  respect  due  to  people  in  their  own  country,  friendly  inter- 
"  course  is  possible,  and  in  many  cases  even  welcomed.'  Now, 
•'  that  is  the  very  quintessence  of  good  sense.  It  is  one  of  the 
"  most  sensible,  most  practical,  and  most  true  statements,  that 
"  I  have  ever  known.  It  bears  on  remarks,  that  I  have  heard 
**  made  in  the  House  of  Lords,  by  peers,  who  have  been  at  the 
"  Admiralty,  just  and  good  men,  who,  when  discussing  Mis- 
**  sionary-operations,  have  said,  '  With  the  Missionary  there 
**  always  is  the  inevitable  gunboat.'  I  believe  that  that  has  been 
**  very  often  the  case,  because  Missionaries  have  stood  too  much 
**  upon  National  superiority,  and  there  has  been  too  much  in- 
*'  sistence  upon  Treaty-Rights,  and  they  have  not  sought  to  con- 
"  ciliate  the  people  by  courtesy  and  by  kindness,  and  by  an 
''  immediate  recognition  of  their  equality  in  the  sight  of  God. 
'*  Well,  China  has  for  a  long  time  been  opened." 


(     56     ) 

The  words  "bigoted  and  fanatic"  are  plentifully  used  as 
descriptive  of  the  Chinese :  what  should  we  think  in  London, 
if  the  Italian  Mission,  backed  by  a  foreign  Power,  who  had  de- 
feated us  in  battle,  were  to  come  in  swarms,  settle  down  in  our 
streets,  abuse  us  in  their  periodicals,  and  undercover  of  Treaties, 
wrung  from  us  in  the  hour  of  weakness,  attack  our  cherished 
form  of  Religion,  denounce  Westminster  Abbey  as  a  place  of 
adoration  of  ancestors,  attempt  to  stop  the  cultivation  of  hops 
in  Kent  and  Surrey,  stop  the  import  of  Brandy  and  Champagne 
from  France,  and  put  down  the  Distilleries  of  Irish  and  Scotch 
Whiskey,  and  the  use  of  Tobacco  ?  Would  not  a  thrill  of  indig- 
nation pass  through  the  whole  country,  and  an  earnest  desire  to 
get  rid  of  the  Italian  Mission  at  any  price  ?  Would  anyone 
accept  a  religion  forced  upon  them  by  rifles  and  guns  ?  Such 
is  the  feeling  of  the  Chinese. 

Only  imagine  the  Emperor  of  a  Kingdom  with  a  population 
of  four  hundred  Millions,  with  an  ancient  civilization,  receiving  a 
letter  like  this  from  foreigners,  who  were  barbarians  at  a  time 
that  the  Chinese  were  highly  civilized :  I  quote  the  Times  of 
March,  1894:  "The  foreign  Ministers  at  Pekin  have  addressed 
**  a  very  strong  letter  to  the  Tsung-li  Yamen,  expressing  their 
"  conviction,  that  the  Sungpu  massacre  and  other  outbreaks 
**  against  foreigners  in  the  province  of  Hupeh  are  to  a  great 
"  extent,  if  not  entirely,  due  to  the  Chinese  officials,  and  they 
"demand:  (i)  That  full  protection  be  given  to  Missionaries, 
"  their  employes,  and  native  Christians  ;  (2)  that  natives  who 
"  have  been  maltreated  for  their  friendliness  to  the  murdered 
"  men  be  allowed  to  return  to  their  homes  in  Sungpu  in  safety ; 
"  (3)  that  the  Imperial  Edict  of  1891  shall  be  renewed,  and 
*'  posted  up,  throughout  the  various  districts  in  Hupeh." 

It  may  be  unhesitatingly  stated,  that  all  Treaties  for  protecting, 
or  encouraging,  the  propagation  of  any  religion  are  wrong 
"  per  se,"  and  should  be  abrogated.  It  should  be  left  to  the 
Government  of  each  country  to  allow,  if  they  thought  fit,  free 
access  and  toleration,  as  is  the  case  in  British  India.  It  is  not 
asserted,  that  the  Divinity  is  in  the  habit  of  protecting  its  own 
places  of  worship  from  fire,  accident,  or  hostile  attack,  but  it  is 
asserted,  that  Great  Truths  can  find  their  own  road,  fight  their 
own  battle,  and  maintain  their  own  Empire.  Their  weapons 
are  not  carnal,  like  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh,  or  Treaties  supported 
by  gunboats.  The  first  thing,  that  a  false  Religious  conception, 
or  a  true  conception  falsely  put  forward,  asks  for,  is  Protection 
from  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh:  it  is  the  last  thing,  that  a  true,  abso- 
lutely true,  Religious  conception,  as  we  believe  that  the  Christian 
Verities  are,  ought  to  ask  for.  The  Almighty  opens  doors, 
and  closes  doors  :  He  influences  the  hearts  of  men,  whether 
Christians,  or  non-Christians  ;  and  He,  who  sends  the  Preacher, 


(     57     ) 

knows  whether  the  hearts  of  the  hearers  are  ready  to  receive  the 
Truth.  Any  vengeance,  taken  for  the  slaughter  of  a  Missionary, 
is  wrong :  we  cannot  at  the  same  breath  talk  of  Martyrs,  and 
take  vengeance  by  the  destruction  of  women  and  children  in 
their  villages  with  gunboats,  or  use  diplomatic  pressure  to  get 
compensation  for  the  families :  only  imagine  the  families  of 
Isaiah,  or  Stephen,  or  Paul,  getting  compensation  in  cash  for 
such  deaths,  as  have  given,  as  it  were,  new  life  to  the  world.  It 
shows  want  of  the  assurance  of  Faith,  and  a  contemptible  hunger- 
ing after  filthy  lucre,  to  ask  for  a  money-compensation  by  the 
Arm  of  the  Flesh  :     Do  we  offer  our  martyrs  gold  ? 

The  history  of  our  Missionary-relations  with  Turkey  and  China 
is  one  shameful  history  of  bullying:  if  the  Mahometans  had 
done  so,  great  would  have  been  the  outcry :  what  Russia  and 
France  would  not  tolerate,  Turkey  and  China  must  submit  to. 
**  Christianos  ad  leones!"  was  the  placard  in  early  Centuries  at 
Rome :  the  Missionaries  in  China  are  more  thin-skinned,  and 
object  to  placards,  and  complain  to  the  Foreign  Office.  The 
result  of  such  Missionary  operations  will  be  the  creation  of  a 
Church  of  hypocrites,  hated  by  their  own  people,  because  they 
represent  the  humiliation  of  their  country. 

As  far  back  as  1880  a  case  arose  in  a  Missionary  Society  of  the 
Church  of  England,  in  which  the  Missionaries,  and  some  of 
the  Members  of  the  Committee,  urged  application  to  the  Foreign 
office  for  the  enforcement  of  Treaty-Rights,  or  in  other  words 
for  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh,  to  support  so-called  spiritual  endeavours 
to  convert  souls.  I  opposed  it,  and  corresponded  on  the  subject 
with  two  ex-British  Ministers  at  Pekin,  and  the  Secretaries  of 
three  great  Nonconformist  Societies,  who  had  Missions  in  China: 
their  replies  are  now  on  the  table  before  me :  they  are  all  in  one 
sense :  I  quote  a  few  words  from  each. 

I.  *'  All  our  traditions  are  against  resorting  to  State-aid  for 
•*  any  religious,  or  educational,  object ;  and  we  are 
•'  thus  spared  many  difficulties  and  vexatious  inter- 
**  ference." 
II.  *'  In  the  case  of  China,  Treaty-Rights  have  at  all  times 
*'  involved  Treaty-wrongs,  which  have  been  forced 
**  upon  an  unwilling  Government  to  the  injury  of 
*'  the  people,  and  to  the  hindrance  in  the  most  fatal 
"  manner  of  Missionary  effort." 
III.  "It  is  possible,  that  an  official  remonstrance  may  bring 
**  rebuke,  or  even  dismissal,  on  an  offending  subor- 
"  dinate,  but  this  does  not  help  us  in  the  long  run. 
"  Patience  is  our  strength,  when  we  are  in  the  right : 
"  this  applies  with  special  emphasis  to  the  Chinese 
♦*  People." 


(     58     ) 

Bad  as  the  cases  of  Turkey  and  China  are,  that  of  U-Ganda  is 
worse.  I  cannot  plead  ignorance  of  the  details  of  the  case, 
as  I  was  for  a  series  of  years  Chairman  of  the  African  sub- 
Committee  of  the  Society,  which  is  to  blame,  and  the  policy 
adopted  contrary  to  my  views  was  one  of  the  many  reasons  for 
my  resigning  my  seat  as  Member  of  the  Committee  in  the  fiftieth 
year  of  my  Membership  of  the  Association.  More  need  not  be 
said  :  this  Mission  may  be  described  as  *'  sitting  on  bayonets, 
and  owing  its  day-by-day  existence  to  Maxim-guns  : "  one  of 
their  most  honoured  worshippers  is  the  '*  impure"  King,  who 
slaughtered  their  Bishop.  The  Church  -  Missionary- Society 
Report  of  1893  states,  that  in  the  event  of  the  withdrawal  of  the 
British  officers,  and  their  Sudanese  Savage  Mahometan  Soldiers, 
the  lives  of  all  the  Members  of  the  Protestant  Church  will  be 
sacrificed. 

Sir  Gerald  Portal  in  his  despatch  May  24,  1893,  presented  to 
Parliament  March,  1894,  writes  thus: 

'*  The  miserable  history  of  U-Ganda  for  the  last  few  years  is 
**  sufficient  to  show,  how  inextricably  religion  and  politics  are 
"  interwoven  in  this  country,  and  I  fear,  that  the  narrow  fanatical 
*•  nature  of  the  people  forbids  us  to  hope  for  any  great  improve- 
"  ment  for  years  to  come.  The  three  great  parties  of  Islam, 
**  Rome,  and  Protestantism,  though  nominally  divided  only  by 
**  religious  tenets,  are  in  reality  adverse  and  jealous  political 
*'  camps,  and  the  leadership  of  two  of  these  camps  is  practically 
**  in  the  hands  of  European  Missionaries. 

**  I  am  extremely  unwilling  to  enter  into  a  discussion  of  the 
"  dangerous  subject  of  Missionary  interference  in  politics,  but  it 
**  is  impossible  to  avoid  an  allusion  to  so  important  a  factor  of 
*•  the  whole  question.  That  the  Missionaries  on  both  sides  are 
**  the  veritable  political  leaders  of  their  respective  factions,  there 
**  can  be  no  doubt  whatever.  The  Romish  Fathers  would  admit 
'*  this  to  be  the  case ;  on  the  Protestant  side  it  would  not  be 
*'  admitted,  but  the  fact  unfortunately  remains :  .  .  .  there 
**  has  grown  up  a  sort  of  dual,  or  triple,  system  of  government, 
**  which  adds  seriously  to  the  difficulties  of  administration.  It 
"  will  from  this  be  readily  understood,  that  the  race  for  converts, 
**  now  being  carried  on  by  the  Romish  and  Protestant  Mis- 
*'  sionaries  in  U-Ganda,  is  synonymous  with  a  race  for  political 
"power:  .  .  .  it  is  this  feeling,  which  since  the  introduction 
**  of  the  forms  of  Christianity  has  cost  so  many  hundred  lives, 
"  and  has  thrown  the  country  fifty  years  back  in  its  advance 
**  towards  prosperity.  It  is  deeply  to  be  regretted,  that  the 
**  avowedly  great  influence  of  the  INIissionaries  in  U-Ganda  is 
**  not  used  to  introduce  a  spirit  of  Tolerance,  and  Peace,  even 
*•  at  the  risk  of  the  loss  to  the  party  of  some  political  power, 
'*  or  a  few   wealthy  chieftainships     .     .     .     There  can   be  no 


(     59     ) 

**  doubt  that,  when  the  withdrawal  of  the  forces  of  the  Company 
"  was  announced,  overtures  for  alliance  were  made  to  the 
**  Mahometans  simultaneously  by  the  chiefs  of  the  Romish  and 
*'  Protestant  parties :  two  of  these  parties  acting  together  could 
**  crush  the  third." 

I  can  add  nothing  to  the  condemnation  contained  in  these 
lines :  can  real  Conversions  of  individual  souls  to  God  be 
carried  out  in  such  an  environment  ?  if  Conversion  be  the  sole 
object,  would  it  not  be  better  to  leave  U-Ganda  to  the  nominal 
Christianity  of  Rome  and  go  to  the  North  and  East  side  of  the 
Lake  ? 

I  add  a  few  words  on  the  subject  of  Compensation,  wrung 
from  Foreign  Governments  by  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh  in  favour 
of  spiritual  men,  or  at  least  those  who  pretend  to  be  so,  who 
ought  to  take  the  spoiling  of  their  goods,  and  loss  of  their  lives, 
joyfully  in  the  service  of  their  Master :  I  quote  from  the  Church 
Missionary-Society-Report,  1892  :  "Through  the  intervention  of 
"  the  Consul  at  Fu-Chow,  a  fine  was  imposed  on  the  leader  of 
*'  the  riot,  and  it  was  agreed,  that  the  Mission  should  be  com- 
*'  pensated,  a  new  site  given  for  a  hospital,  the  old  hospital 
"  repaired,  and  that  a  proclamation  should  be  issued  declaring 
*'  the  right  of  Missionaries  to  rent,  purchase,  build,  or  reside  in 
*'  any  part  of  Kien-Ning.  The  Committee  are  not  aware, 
"  however,  that  any  of  these  provisions  have  yet  been  carried 
*'  out.  An  agreement  has,  however,  been  made  and  signed  by 
"  the  Mandarin  and  the  Missionaries  regarding  a  site  at  Sing 
**  Kio,  about  a  mile  further  from  Kien-Ning  than  Tai  Chiu  is." 

Complaints  are  made  in  the  United  States  of  there  being  no 
indemnity,  levied  from  the  Spanish  Government  for  the  injuries 
inflicted  upon  American  Missionaries  :  there  is  sure  to  be  a 
Nemesis,  when  compensation  is  thus  claimed. 

The  Consul-General  of  Sweden  and  Norway  has  secured  an 
indemnity  of  forty  thousand  dollars  to  the  relatives  of  two 
Missionaries  killed  in  1893.  Will  this  advance  the  cause  of  the 
Gospel  ?  Would  the  families  of  Peter  and  Paul  have  accepted 
compensation  ?  Did  the  British  Government  claim  compensation 
from  King  Mwanga  for  killing  Bishop  Hannington  ?  Nowadays 
the  citizens  of  such  a  petty  State  as  Norway  and  Sweden  are 
supposed  to  have  Rights.  Had  these  Missionaries  been  for- 
bidden by  King  Oscar  to  enter  China,  they  would  have  snapped 
their  fingers  at  him.  Had  they  been  killed  in  a  chance  uproar 
at  Banaras  in  British  India,  would  the  Indian  Government  have 
paid  down  rupees,  and  would  any  State  have  compelled  them  to 
do  so  ?  Is  this  a  really  Christian  Method  of  preaching  the 
Gospel  ?  Will  there  not  be  a  bitter  rancour  stored  up  in  the 
hearts  of  the  Chinese  Nation  ?  Is  there  a  single  passage  in 
the  New  Testament,  that  can  give  the  least  support  to  such  a 
practice  ? 


(     60     ) 

The  latest  phase  of  the  compensation  system  is,  that  the 
British  Taxpayers  are  expected  to  pay  to  the  French  Romish 
Mission  at  U-Ganda  a  cash  compensation  for  the  unjustifiable 
injury  inflicted  upon  them  by  Capt.  Lugard,  and  the  Protestant 
Converts  headed  by  British  Missionaries.  At  any  rate  it  is 
more  worthy  of  the  character  of  a  Christian  Missionary  to  give 
compensation  than  to  accept  it.  We  may  expect,  that  there 
will  be  more  outrages,  more  violence  used,  in  putting  down 
attempts  to  gain  power,  and  more  compensation  to  be  paid  by 
the  British  taxpayer  for  wrongs  inflicted  on  subjects  of  a 
friendly  Nation  by  Protestant  Converts. 

I  have  dwelt  thus  fully  on  this  bad  Method,  because  I  consider 
it  to  be  the  worst  of  all  bad  Methods,  the  most  insidious,  the 
most  un-Christian,  and  the  most  ruinous  to  the  cause,  which 
lies  nearest  to  our  hearts. 

2.  Receiving  Endowments  from  Taxes  levied  from 
non-Christians. 

One  of  the  grave  errors  of  some  Missions  is  to  receive  material 
advantages  from  a  Sovereign  :  it  is  sure  to  bring  a  Nemesis  with 
it:  it  is  with  pain  I  read  of  the  attempts  made  by  Protestants  and 
the  Church  of  Rome  in  U-Ganda  to  win  the  favour  of  that  atro- 
cious individual.  King  Mwanga,  whose  public  crimes,  and  private 
vices,  are  of  the  blackest  die.  I  asked  a  Missionary  from  the 
field,  what  was  the  duty  of  the  numerous  boy-pages,  who  attended 
his  Court,  and  the  so-called  martyrdom  of  some  of  whom  created 
such  sensations :  the  reply  was,  that  they  were  the  victims  of  his 
lust.  I  read  in  the  Report  of  the  Church-Missionary-Society  for 
1893,  that  the  attendance  of  this  King  at  the  Church  is  a  source 
of  danger  to  the  purity  of  the  Church,  and  yet  his  patronage  is 
sought  for,  instead  of  his  presence  being  shunned. 

The  Emperor  Constantine  slew  several  members  of  his  own 
family,  and  delayed  his  own  baptism  till  the  extreme  moment, 
and  the  servile  Bishops  praised  him ;  and  he  began  the  system 
of  endowment  of  the  Church  of  Christ  with  material  Revenues, 
which  has  been  its  misfortune  even  to  the  present  day,  placing 
in  England  the  appointment  to  spiritual  office  in  the  hands  of 
Sovereigns  of  the  moral  type  of  the  late  King  George  IV.  In 
the  Middle  Ages  the  Revenue  of  Heathen  Temples,  and  their 
buildings,  were  transferred  to  the  Christian  Church.  The  fickle 
Native  Potentate,  born  a  Heathen,  and  by  turns  a  Protestant  and 
a  Papist,  is  not  to  be  depended  upon.  Let  the  true  Missionary 
keep  clear  of  all  such  attractions. 

And  with  regard  to  British  Provinces,  it  is  exceedingly  unde- 
sirable, that  Missions  should  be  under  the  control  of,  or  in  any 
way  connected  with,  Bishops,  whose  salaries  are  paid  from  the 


(     61      ) 

taxes  on  the  Hindu  and  Mahometan  subjects  of  Her  Majesty. 
How  keenly  we  should  resent  being  taxed  to  support  the  Bishops 
of  the  Italian  Missions  in  Great  Britain  !  *'  we  should  do  unto 
others  as  we  should  wish,  that  men  should  do  unto  us."  The 
endowed  Bishoprics  of  Calcutta,  Bombay,  and  Madras,  are  an 
anachronism :  they  were  well  intended  at  the  time,  but  they  are 
out  of  date;  and  the  intelligent  non-Christian  Indian  has  a  real 
cause  of  objection  in  these  hard  times.  The  same  may  be  said 
of  the  Bishopric  of  Mauritius,  described  as  a  Missionary-Diocese. 
Whatever  may  be  said  in  favour  of  a  National  Church  in  England 
of  a  duration  of  many  Centuries,  cannot  be  said  of  stipendiary 
Bishops  in  a  subject-State  or  a  Colony  inhabited  by  a  non- 
Christian  population.  As  a  fact,  only  lately,  the  connection  of 
the  Bishopric  of  Colombo  with  the  Government  of  Ceylon  has 
been  put  an  end  to,  and  the  next  Bishop  will  be  provided  for 
by  an  endowment-fund.  The  Report  of  the  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Gospel  for  1890  tells  us,  **  that  the  Diocese 
*'  shows  no  sign  of  weakness  in  consequence  of  the  withdrawal 
"  of  State-aid.  The  Bishop  was  able  to  state  at  the  Synod, 
"  which  was  held  in  September  last,  that  in  the  four  years  which 
"  had  passed  since  the  final  withdrawal  of  State-aid,  the  clerical 
"  order  had  increased  by  ten,  which  is  nearly  20  per  cent." 

In  W.  Africa  there  is  a  Bishopric  at  Sierra  Leone  paid  by  the 
State :  it  should  cease,  and  the  salaries  of  Bishops  be  paid  by 
Missionary  Societies,  or  a  special  endowment  fund  created  for 
the  purpose. 

But  in  Ceylon  a  charge  is  made  of  an  opposite  character. 
I  give  the  exact  words  of  the  Ceylon  Diocesan  Gazette:  "We 
**  fear  he  will  also  be  remembered  as  the  Governor,  who  revived 
**  Buddhism ;  and  we  have  never  concealed  our  disapproval  of 
*'  the  policy,  which,  in  the  name  of  liberality  and  justice,  has 
"  so  needlessly  patronized  and  fostered  that  religion,  which 
"  numbers  among  its  votaries  a  large  majority  of  the  inhabitants 
**  of  Ceylon. 

"  On  May  ist,  about  four  weeks  before  his  departure,  Sir 
*'  Arthur  Gordon  distributed  prizes  to  the  successful  students 
"  among  the  priests  who  study  Buddhism  in  the  Vidyodaya 
"  College.  The  report  read  on  the  occasion  stated,  that  the 
**  King  of  Siam  had  sent  250  rupees,  to  be  given  to  the  pupils 
**  who  should  distinguish  themselves  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
"  Buddhist  doctrine.  Sir  Arthur  Gordon,  when  he  was  re- 
"  quested  to  speak,  rose  up  and  declared,  that  he  was  a 
"  Christian,  and  wished,  that  all  those  assembled  should  attain 
*'  to  higher  truth  ;  but  he  thought  it  was  the  duty  of  the  priests 
*'  to  study  well  the  religion  they  professed,  and  to  be  known  by 
"  leading  good  lives,  free  from  the  influence  of  foolish  super- 
**  stition.    Whilst  expressing  himself  thankful  for  this  testimony, 


(     62     ) 

"  the  writer  regrets  that  the  Government,  which  professes  to 
"  be  impartial  and  to  favour  no  one  religion  before  another 
**  in  Ceylon,  should  spend  its  money  for  the  promotion  of 
"  Buddhism.  The  Vidyodaya  College  is  a  seminary,  endowed 
**  by  a  wealthy  Buddhist  for  the  education  of  their  priests,  and 
*'  provision  is  here  made  for  the  Sirpasa,  the  four  necessary 
**  appendages  of  a  Buddhist  priest.  The  Government  makes 
*'  no  grant  to  any  Christian  institution  for  the  training  of 
*'  ministers,  nor  for  the  maintenance  of  Hindu  or  Maho- 
"  metan  seminaries.  The  i,ooo  rupees  given  to  the  Buddhists 
"  by  the  Government  is  therefore  regarded  as  an  unjust  and 
**  unlawful  grant." 

Of  course  the  grant  is  most  objectionable,  but  not  more  so 
than  a  grant  for  Christian  purposes.     Both  are  equally  wrong. 

Some  would  justify  the  grants  in  British  India  to  support 
Christian  Missions  by  alluding  to  the  enormous  grants  of 
Revenue-free  land  to  Mahometans  and  Hindus,  which  have 
been  our  baneful  inheritance  in  British  India :  of  course  this 
means  a  deduction  of  Millions  from  the  Treasury.  Inquiries 
were  made  fifty  years  ago :  large  resumptions  of  such  grants 
were  made :  people  were  let  down  gently  by  grants  for  one  life 
or  two  lives  :  but  still  the  burden  remains.  But  the  existence 
of  a  bad  custom  under  non-Christian  Governments  is  no  warrant 
for  a  Christian  Government  doing  the  same  :  besides  a  privi- 
leged few  enjoy  these  grants,  while  the  taxation  of  the  whole 
community  is  drawn  upon  for  the  salaries  of  the  Bishops :  if 
Army-Chaplains  are  required  for  the  Army,  one  Chaplain- 
General  would  be  sufficient  for  their  control. 

3.  Intolerance  of  other   Religions,   or  other  forms  of 
THE  SAME  Religion. 

This  leads  to  remarks  on  the  necessity  of  great  tenderness  to 
those,  who  differ  in  doctrine  or  in  practice.  It  is  astonishing 
to  read  remarks  made  by  Presbyterian  Missionaries  against 
Plymouthites,  as  bitter  as  those,  that  were  made  in  the  last 
century  by  Episcopalians  against  Presbyterians,  or  vice  versa. 
The  greatest  wisdom  and  most  Christian  forbearance  are  neces- 
sary in  such  cases. 

Before  the  Reformation  no  Toleration  was  extended  to  any 
other  form  of  Religion,  and  no  freedom  of  opinion  was  tolerated 
on  the  most  important  subject  to  each  individual  soul,  not  only 
on  the  general  principle  of  Christian  Faith,  but  on  the  minor 
details  of  Church  Government  and  ceremonies.  In  a  manifesto 
published  by  the  Cardinal  Archbishop  of  Paris,  1891,  occur  these 
words :  **  No  oppression  is  more  grievous  for  a  people,  than 
that  of  a  doctrine  imposed  by  the  State."     We  thank  him  for 


(     63     ) 

these  words.  What  was  the  fate  of  the  poor  Pagans  in  Germany, 
the  poor  Jews  and  Mahometans  in  Spain,  under  the  system  of 
the  Church  of  Rome  from  400  a.d.  to  1500  a.d.,  when  her  claws 
were  finally  clipped  ?  Think  of  the  treatment  received  by  so- 
called  Heretics  (the  word  a'lpeai^  means  *'a  choosing")  during 
that  long  period.  There  were  no  doubt  worldly,  antinomian, 
and  immoral,  men  outside,  inside,  and  on  the  skirts  of  the  great 
spiritual  revival  of  the  Middle  Ages  :  there  was  much  one-sided 
teaching,  much  downright  hypocrisy,  but  in  the  centre  of  the 
moving  army  of  Free-thinkers  (thank  God  for  that  word  !)  there 
were  the  very  Children  of  God,  the  holy,  the  unselfish,  the 
seekers  after  God,  men  endowed  with  the  inestimable  gift  of 
self-sacrifice,  of  whom  the  world  was  not  worthy,  and  who  died 
as  blessed  Martyrs,  and  their  blood  has  been  the  seed  of  our 
Christian  Liberty.  Lost  causes,  like  those  of  the  Donatist,  the 
Arian,  the  Nestorian,  have  no  chroniclers.  The  Librarians  of 
the  Church  of  Rome  burnt  all  the  books,  which  differed  from 
their  own  narrow  views,  punished  the  copyist,  or  printer,  and 
killed  the  writer.  Thus  the  Church  of  Rome  was  built  up  in 
Intolerance,  Persecution,  and  Crime,  and  its  Annals  are  a 
scandal  to  the  Christian  name. 

Lord  Macaulay  remarks,  in  his  review  of  Ranke's  History 
of  the  Popes,  the  strange  phenomena,  *'  that  the  atheistic 
*'  philosopher,  while  denying  the  Christian  dogma,  was  loud 
"  in  asserting  the  right  of  the  human  race  to  liberty  of  soul 
*'  and  body ;  on  the  other  hand  the  Christian  Church,  while 
*'  upholding  Christian  dogma,  did  not  hesitate  to  enforce  bap- 
"  tism  at  the  point  of  the  sword,  the  tortures  of  the  Inquisi- 
*'  tion,  massacres,  persecution,  and  assassination,  in  defiance 
"  of  the  first  principles  of  Christian  Mercy,  and  Love,  to  the 
*'  Sinner,  to  the  non-Christian,  and  to  the  most  degraded  of 
"  mankind." 

There  is  a  great  temptation  to  a  Missionary,  when  he  is  in  the 
second  stage  of  his  work  with  a  young  Christian  flock  grouped 
round  him,  to  make  use  of  a  friendly  Arm  of  the  Flesh  for  the 
purpose  of  advancing  his  views  of  spiritual  interests,  and  sup- 
pressing what  appears  to  him  to  be  great  moral  and  doctrinal 
evils.  We  find  the  word  orthodoxy  freely  used  :  it  merely  means 
"  my  doxy,"  as  opposed  to  "  other  people's  doxy."  The  Church 
of  Rome  has  ever  been  a  persecutor.  No  one  sinned  more  than 
Xavier :  we  judge  him  by  his  own  letters  to  his  friends ;  but  all 
his  predecessors,  even  those,  whose  names  we  honour  most,  erred 
in  the  same  direction :  it  seemed  to  them  essential  to  convert 
the  Chief,  or  his  lawful  wife,  or  his  concubine,  and  then  to  help 
them  to  put  down  opposition.  Augustine  of  Canterbury  was 
most  anxious  to  coerce  the  British  Church  on  such  very  unim- 
portant matters  as  the  date  of  Easter,  and  the  shaving  of  the 


(     64     ) 

heads  of  Ecclesiastics.  We  hear  the  last  echo  of  this  absolute 
intolerant  sentiment  in  Shakespeare's  play  of  "The  Merchant  of 
Venice,"  where  the  Duke  orders  Shylock  to  become  a  Christian  : 
in  fact,  in  those  days  all  idea  of  individual  Conversion  of  souls 
had  disappeared,  and  only  an  outward  conformity  to  ritual  was 
required,  with' downright  persecution  for  any  attempt  to  use 
free  thought.  Now  the  minds  of  men  have  changed :  an 
enthusiastic  Missionary  would  like  a  little  help  from  the  Civil 
Power :  he  would  like  to  have  the  Brahminical,  or  Mahometan, 
schools  shut  up,  and  their  preachers  warned  off;  but  they  have 
found  out,  that  the  sword  of  the  Civil  Power  cuts  both  ways,  and 
might  be  used  against  the  Missionary  himself.  The  Church  of 
Rome  issue  the  loudest  cry  for  Toleration,  and  denounces 
Persecution,  when  she  is  down ;  but,  when  in  power,  she  makes 
use  of  the  weapon.  It  has  become  an  incontrovertible  axiom  of 
Mission-work,  that  the  spiritual  agent  must  depend  upon  his  own 
spiritual  power,  and  that  absolute  Toleration  to  Sects,  and 
Religions,  must  be  given.  Rome  tries  to  shut  out  the  Protestant 
from  her  presence,  but  she  will  find  that  is  of  no  use,  even  in 
little  islands  like  Futuna  and  Uvea  in  Oceania. 

If  we  lift  the  subject  higher,  we  shall  see  how  wrong 
Persecution  is :  the  unseen  Divinity,  whom  all  Nations  worship 
under  different  names,  Jehovah,  Jove  or  Lord,  rules  the  world, 
and  the  hearts  of  His  poor  creatures :  He  suffers  their  follies, 
and  is  merciful  to  their  errors,  and  their  religious  conceptions. 
Paul  could  not  blame  them  :  he  rather  praised  the  ^eiaihai^iovia^ 
which  he  witnessed  at  Athens.  It  was  thought  a  very  grand 
thing  for  Theodosius  to  destroy  the  Temple  of  Serapis  in  Egypt. 
Is  it  not  a  much  grander  thing  to  spare  the  temples  of  Banaras, 
and  the  Mosques  of  Upper  India,  and  to  suffer  them  to  be 
repaired  and  beautified  }  We  can  see  clearly,  that  the  Epoch  of 
Idolatry  is  passing  away :  the  Idol  is  still  in  the  Temple,  but  no 
longer  in  the  heart  of  the  worshippers,  and  before  very  long  the 
great  change  will  come.  The  Pagan  Temples,  upon  which  we 
come  so  repeatedly  in  Italy  and  Greece,  in  ruins,  and  forgotten, 
remind  us,  that  like  all  things  human  religious  conceptions  have 
their  season,  and  then  fade  away  and  fall  like  the  dead  leaves  in 
an  Autumn-Forest. 

I  quote  this  from  the  life  of  Lord  Lawrence  by  Bosworth 
Smith  :  "When  the  city  of  Delhi  fell  during  the  Mutiny  in  1858, 
"  some  of  Lord  Lawrence's  friends  wrote  to  him,  expressing 
"  their  hope  that  he  would  destroy  the  great  Mosque  there. 
"  In  reply  to  this  proposal  he  wrote  :  *  I  will  on  no  account 
"  consent  to  it.  We  should  carefully  abstain  from  the  destruc- 
"  tion  of  religious  edifices,  either  to  favour  friends  or  to  annoy 
"  foes.'  And  when  some  of  his  intimate  friends  pointed  out, 
"  that  to  destroy  the  finest  place  of  worship  in  the  world  would 


(     65     ) 

**  be  felt  as  a  blow  to  their  religion  by  Mahometans  everywhere, 
**  he  jumped  up  from  his  seat,  and,  slapping  the  foremost  of  them 
"  on  his  back,  said:  *  I'll  tell  you  what  it  is:  there  are  many 
"  things  you  could  persuade  me  to  do,  but  you  shall  never  per- 
**  suade  me  to  do  this.'  " 

I  quote  the  following  remarks :  *'  From  the  time  of  Christ  to 
**  the  epoch  of  the  Reformation  there  were  no  Dissenters,  only 
**  traitors  and  heretics,  who  were  deemed  unworthy  to  live  in 
**  the  same  world,  and  breathe  the  same  air  as  Emperors,  Popes, 
"  and  Bishops.  But  the  Christian  temperament  can  be  traced 
"  through  all  the  Centuries,  whether  the  devout  people  of  the 
*'  period  were  martyrs  or  hermits,  monks,  nuns,  or  friars, 
**  pilgrims  or  crusaders,  priests  or  warriors.  The  same  aspira- 
**  tions,  misgivings,  trials,  and  difficulties  existed  then  as  now, 
**  though  the  trials  and  difficulties  may  be  less.  The  best 
**  people  of  to-day  may  be  trusted  to  recognise  a  touch  of  their 
"  own  kindred  amid  all  the  varieties  of  time  and  place  and 
*'  circumstance,  which  make  up  the  past.'* 

To  show  the  absurdity  of  the  use  of  the  term  Heretic,  it  may 
be  mentioned,  that  a  certain  Egyptian  King  of  the  Eighteenth 
Dynasty,  Amenophis,  was  called  the  Heretic-King  as  a  term  of 
disapproval,  because  he  worshipped  the  Sun's  Disk  rather  than 
the  Sun  itself.  Some  of  the  so-called  heresies  of  the  early 
centuries  of  Christianity  were  no  less  ridiculous,  and  persecution 
of  the  disk- worshippers  was  very  active. 

It  is  delightful  to  read  of  the  descendants  of  the  Fathers  of 
the  Inquisition  complaining  of  one  of  their  schools  being  closed 
by  a  Turkish  Pasha,  or  a  place  of  worship,  which  they  call  theirs, 
being  appropriated  by  a  Congregation  of  the  Greek  Church.  I 
quote  the  following  from  the  Church  Missionary  Society's  Report 
of  1893: 

**  At  Kang  Wong,  in  the  same  pastorate,  two  men,  who  had 
"  heard  the  Gospel  at  Lo-Ngwong,  declared  themselves 
'*  Christians.  A  catechist  was  sent  there  during  the  year,  and 
"  about  thirty  catechumens  joined  the  congregation,  and  have 
"  courageously  borne  persecution.  The  Archdeacon  writes: 
"  *  The  reality  of  the  faith  of  these  new  converts  has  been  put  to 
'*  the  test,  and  I  am  glad  to  report  they  have  stood  it  nobly. 
'*  The  usual  yearly  offerings  for  the  support  of  the  idol  temples, 
**  and  idol-processions  and  theatricals  in  honour  of  the  dumb 
"  gods,  were  demanded  by  the  village  elders  from  the  Christians, 
"  who,  of  course,  refused.  This  refusal  created  quite  a  sensation 
*'  in  the  town,  and  was  met  by  threats  on  the  part  of  the  idol 
"  worshippers.  The  Christians  on  their  part  declared,  that  they 
"  would  rather  die  than  give  a  cent  to  support  Idolatry,  as  their 
'*  doing  so  would  offend  God,  and  would  be  a  denial  of  their 
*'  Christian  faith.     On  this  the  heathen  assembled  and  attacked 


(     66     ) 

"  them  in  their  houses,  severely  beating  them,  and  partially 
**  destroying  their  houses.  The  Magistrate  issued  a  proclamation 
"  forbidding  this  persecution,  but  the  heathen  party  took  down 
"  the  proclamation  and  tore  it  into  shreds,  and  again  attacked 
**  the  Christians  more  severely  than  before.  The  persecution  is 
**  still  going  on.' "  The  Church  of  Rome  could  hardly  have 
done  worse  than  this  to  the  Protestants. 

In  British  India  all  Religions  and  denominations  enjoy  the 
delightful  **  Laissez  faire "  of  the  British  administration. 
Where  good,  quiet,  men  are  at  work  for  legitimate  spiritual 
objects,  with  no  political  motives,  they  are  allowed  to  enjoy  what 
in  equity  they  are  entitled  to,  but  are  not  allowed  to  worry  their 
neighbours ;  a  little  healthy  persecution,  however,  would  some- 
times give  a  new  life  to  a  sleepy  Mission. 

We  are  better  able  to  understand  the  miserable  feeling,  which 
led  the  Religious  parties  in  the  Middle  Ages  to  attack  each 
other  with  carnal  weapons,  from  the  spectacle  exhibited  to  us 
lately  at  U-Ganda.  I  read  the  accounts  of  both  parties  in  the 
French  and  English  languages.  Each  abuses  the  other  without 
any  show  of  justice ;  each  seeks  to  get  the  better  of  the  other. 
There  is  an  utter  absence  of  Christian  nobility  of  character  on 
both  sides.  Whichever  party  got  into  power  was  ready  to  eject, 
or  tread  down,  the  other  party.  The  only  difference  is,  that  the 
Church  of  Rome  openly  says  so,  and  the  Protestants  show  by 
their  actions  that  they  would  do  so,  if  they  had  the  opportunity. 

To  give  an  idea  of  King  Mwanga,  I  quote  the  following  from 
Carl  Peter's  **  New  Lights  upon  Dark  Africa,"  1891,  p.  403  :  he 
himself  visited  U-Ganda  just  before  the  troubles. 

'*I  asked  Mwanga  to  pledge  himself  to  make  Christianity  the 
**  one  dominant  religion  of  all  his  dominions  :  the  religion  was 
"  formally  proclaimed  as  the  religion  of  the  State  by  the  decree, 
"  that  all  Government-appointments  should  be  filled  by  Chris- 
"  tians  only,  that  all  heathens,  who  refused  to  be  converted, 
"  must  quit  their  appointments  :  The  decree  was  carried  out  to 
**  its  fullest  extent.  Mahometanism  was  simply  forbidden  under 
'*  penalty  of  death :  Heathens  were  tolerated,  but  Christianity 
**  alone  was  to  be  the  dominant  religion."  So  in  the  British 
sphere  of  influence  in  Africa  a  state  of  things  arose,  equalling 
the  Middle  Ages  in  Intolerance.  I  have  dwelt  on  this  subject, 
that  Missionaries  may  look  ahead,  and  act  with  caution.  The 
Indians,  Chinese,  and  Japanese  have  ever  been  tolerant ;  the 
Mahometan  in  India  was  never  a  persecuting  fanatic.  It  must 
needs  be,  that  diversity  of  doctrinal  opinion,  and  of  Church- 
organization,  will  come  into  existence :  we  must  just  let  this 
alone;  if  arguments  fail,  the  duty  of  the  Missionary  is  discharged. 
It  does  not  fall  into  his  duty  to  attempt  to  save  a  man's  soul  by 
showing  no  consideration  for  his  body. 


(     67     ) 

It  is  the  fashion  sometimes  to  minimise  the  degree  of  perse- 
cution in  Europe :  so  I  state  a  fact. 

Pope  Nicolas  wrote  to  the  Missionaries  in  Bulgaria  not  to 
spare  the  apostates,  and  this  rule  has  survived  in  Mahometan 
countries,  and  in  the  Empire  of  Russia,  and  was  the  practice  of 
the  Inquisition  :  once  a  Christian,  always  a  Christian  !  Apostates 
ought  to  meet  with  no  toleration,  if  they  persist  in  refusing 
obedience  to  their  spiritual  advisers. 

It  is  strange  to  read  in  Reports  of  Missionaries  in  British 
India  and  Ceylon  such  words  as  *' persecution"  applied  by  some 
Power  to  themselves  :  we  recommend  such  a  Missionary  to  take 
a  turn  of  five  years  in  Africa  :  he  would  return  with  a  chas- 
tened spirit.  How  shocking  such  words  as  these  appear  in  a 
Missionary-Report  of  the  19th  century:  *'we  are  the  English 
Church,  and  the  Church  of  the  English,  the  ruling  Nation." 
Surely  if  the  Missionaries  were  of  the  Lutheran,  and  French 
Protestant,  or  Danish,  or  even  of  the  Romish  Church,  the  sole 
object  is  to  preach  Christ,  not  the  privileges  of  an  establishment. 
A  Romish  Priest  could  not  have  expressed  himself  worse. 

I  quote  from  a  modern  writer  a  passage,  that  exposes  to  scorn 
the  modern  system  of  religious  persecution  : 

*'  There  is  a  Protestant  Popery.  The  subtle  spirit  of  Intoler- 
"  ance  can  inhabit  all  hearts,  speak  all  languages,  swear  by,  -or  at, 
*'  all  creeds;  it  can  inspire  the  Pope  and  the  man,  who  denounces 
*'  the  Pope,  the  persecutor  and  the  persecuted,  the  Radical  and 
**  the  Conservative,  the  reformer  and  the  enemy  of  reform. 
"  Faithful  souls  have  suffered,  that  we  may  not  have  the  power 
**  of  suppressing  opinion  in  the  way  men  once  did :  we  are 
**  obliged  to  limit  ourselves  to  other  kinds  of  racks  and  thumb- 
"  screws,  to  bitter  words,  theological  nicknames,  mean  in- 
"  sinuations,  back-biting,  anonymous  letter-writing,  spiritual 
"  boycotting,  to  craft,  cunning,  vain-boasting,  false-witness, 
"  pious  frauds,  and  using  the  machinery  of  our  Church  and  sect 
"  and  religious  newspaper,  and  our  influence  in  a  community, 
"  to  injure  and  crush  persons,  whose  opinions  we  dislike. 
"  We  cannot  kill  bodies,  but  we  try  to  kill  reputations." 

The  Hebrew  race  were  ever  persecutors,  from  the  time  of 
Moses  down  to  the  day,  when  Paul  stood  by,  and  held  the  clothes 
of  the  assassins,  who  stoned  Stephen  :  how  diiferent  are  the 
annals  of  the  great  people  of  India,  tolerant  to  every  other 
religious  conception,  or  to  any  sectarian  form  of  their  own,  so 
long  as  they  themselves  are  left  alone !  On  the  numerous  rock 
and  pillar-Inscriptions  found  in  widely  distant  parts  of  India, 
but  made  under  orders  of  the  same  king,  Asoka,  300-200  B.C., 
whose  only  recorded  title  is  that  of  '*  Beloved  of  the  Gods,"  we 
find  sentiments  of  toleration  and  mercy,  and  loving-kindness : 
•*  The  King  prays  with  every  variety  of  prayer  for  those,  who 


(      68     ) 

"  differ  from  him  in  creed,  that  they,  following  his  example,  may 
'*  with  him  attain  eternal  Salvation :  He  ordains  Tolerance  by 
"  decreeing,  that  all  unbelievers  everywhere  may  dwell  un- 
*'  molested,  as  they  also  wish  for  purity  of  disposition,  and 
*'  moral  restraints  :  for  men  are  of  various  passions  and  various 
**  desires." 

The  tolerant  religions  of  the  Brahmanical,  Buddhist,  and 
Confucianist  survive  in  undiminished  strength  from  a  period 
long  before  Anno  Domini,  and  comprise  a  very  large  portion  of 
the  population  of  the  world,  however  much  the  young  Missionary 
may  gird  at  them,  and  call  them  the  Kingdom  of  Satan.  We 
can  only  bow  our  heads,  for  the  Ruler  of  the  Universe  cannot  do 
other  than  right,  and  in  our  prayers  we  utter  the  phrase,  that 
**  He  hateth  nothing  that  He  has  made"  ;  and  yet  for  countless 
generations  He  has  left  them  to  their  own  devices,  and  sent 
neither  Prophet  nor  Evangelist  to  call  them  to  Repentance,  and 
a  knowledge  of  the  great  plan  of  Salvation. 

4.  Destruction,  or  Appropriation,  of  Buildings  belonging 
TO  another  Religion. 

Temples,  Sacred  Trees,  Shrines  on  Hill-tops,  Tombs  of 
departed  worthies,  in  Europe  were  ruthlessly  destroyed,  or  con- 
verted by  violence  to  Christian  uses.  Pope  Gregory  wrote  to 
Augustine  of  Canterbury  not  to  destroy  the  Temples,  but  to 
convert  them  into  Christian  Churches.  In  this  off-hand  way 
the  sacred  property  of  another  religious  cult  was  to  be  appro- 
priated with  a  high  hand  by  a  foreign  Missionary,  while, 
when  any  one  of  the  Church  buildings  were  appropriated  by 
Mahometans,  there  was  a  loud  cry  of  Sacrilege.  Lands,  the 
land-tax  of  which  was  set  apart  for  the  support  of  Temples, 
with  which  we  are  so  familiar  in  India,  were  at  once  confiscated. 
In  Damascus  to  this  day  there  is  a  groan  over  the  conversion  of  a 
Christian  Church  to  a  Mosque,  but  it  was  originally  a  Pagan 
Temple  converted  into  a  Christian  Church. 

It  is  a  dangerous  temptation  to  a  Missionary,  by  the  help  of 
the  Arm  of  the  Flesh,  to  appropriate  a  place  of  worship  with  the 
actual  or  implied  consent  of  the  people ;  but  he  forgets  that  it  is 
a  blow  to  the  whole  religious  Society.  In  a  paper  published 
by  the  American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  Boston,  United 
States,  I  read  a  letter,  1878,  from  a  Missionary  in  China  headed 
**  Overthrow  of  an  Idolatrous  Temple  in  N.  China"  :  then  follows 
a  long  story,  how  the  inhabitants  of  a  certain  village  were 
desirous  of  destroying  their  idols,  and  inviting  the  Missionaries 
to  use  the  rear  of  the  Temple  as  a  Chapel,  and  the  front  as  a 
School:  six  of  the  managers  of  the  temple  were  candidates 
for  Baptism  :    the  remaining  twelve  remained  passive :    some 


(     69     ) 

esteemed  the  whole  scheme  to  be  a  disgrace,  and  threatened 
an  appeal  to  the  Chinese  Authorities :  there  was  a  gathering  of 
a  meeting  in  the  town,  and  they  voted  away  their  temple,  and 
its  lands,  to  a  foreign  religion,  of  which  most  of  them  had  never 
heard  six  months  ago,  and  none  of  them  until  within  a  few 
years :  they  were  not  converts,  and  did  it  of  their  own  motion : 
a  deed  was  signed,  and  made  over  to  the  Missionary,  who 
thinks  that  he  has  done  a  clever  thing,  and  hopes  to  organize 
the  beginning  of  a  Church  out  of  the  twenty  applicants  on  his 
list.  I  should  have  been  glad  to  have  heard  how  this  annexation 
of  a  heathen  temple  answered :  we  have  only  to  imagine  the 
effect  of  the  annexation  in  London  of  a  Church  by  the 
Mormonites,  or  Theosophists,  or  Mahometans. 

In  another  report  I  read  how  in  China  a  Missionary  persuaded 
a  convert  to  collect  his  idols,  which  were  made  of  paper,  and  on 
Sunday  at  the  Christian  service  to  burn  them  ;  we  cannot  be 
surprised  that  the  Superintendent  of  the  District  has  threatened 
to  report  the  case  to  the  Mandarin,  and  that  the  neighbours 
threaten  to  turn  them  out  of  their  house ;  or,  as  the  Missionary 
in  the  usual  style  describes  it,  "  the  Devil  is  busy  in  stirring  up 
opposition." 

In  the  Church-Missionary-Society's  Report,  1892,  I  read  how 
sometimes  the  zeal  of  the  converts  exceeds  the  discretion  of 
peaceful  Christian  men,  subjects  of  Her  Majesty,  the  Empress 
of  India,  and  becomes  iconoclastic. 

"  A  small  village  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  Poonamallie 
"  was  visited  by  the  members  twice,  and  on  the  second  day  one 
*'  of  the  leading  men  came  forward  and  said  :  *  Yes,  we  believe 
"  all  that  you  say ;  now  tell  us  definitely  what  we  have  to  do, 
"  and  how  we  are  to  be  saved.'  The  preachers  happened  to 
'*  stand  near  an  idol-temple,  and  one  of  them  spoke  about 
*'  Gideon,  how  he  and  his  men  cast  down  the  altar  of  Baal  and 
*'  cut  down  the  grove,  that  was  by  the  side  of  it,  and  asked  if 
*'  the  villagers  would  likewise  break  down  that  idol-temple,  and 
"  build  in  its  place  a  place  of  worship  for  the  true  and  living 
'*  God.  The  villagers  one  and  all  of  them  said,  '  Yes,  we  shall 
*'  do  so;  come  and  help  us.'  May  God  help  them,  and  make 
**  that  a  Christian  village  soon." 

In  the  Church-Missionary-Society  Report  of  1893,  I  find  that 
in  Africa  the  poor  ignorant  converts  allow  themselves,  or  are 
allowed  by  their  spiritual  teachers,  to  go  further  and  break  the 
peace.  Mr.  Price  mentions  an  instance  of  indiscreet  zeal  on 
the  part  of  some  of  the  Christian  young  men  : 

'*  A  large  procession  of  people  passed  one  day  on  their  way 
"  to  one  of  their  sacred  places  for  the  purpose  of  building  a 
**  tiny  grass  hut  (their  apology  for  a  temple),  and  make  offerings 
"  to  the  gods.     The  young  fellows  came  to  me  (one  of  them 


(     70     ) 

"  the  late  chiefs  son),  saying  they  were  going  off  to  protest 
**  against  this  folly.  I  did  not  know  exactly  what  they  meant 
"  to  do.  However,  they  rushed  off,  and  in  the  presence  of  all 
**  the  people  set  fire  to  the  temple  they  had  just  erected,  and 
**  scattered  the  offerings  placed  therein.  Of  course  the  people 
"  were  in  a  great  rage,  and  threatened  all  sorts  of  things.  At 
*'  last  they  called  a  meeting  of  the  head-men,  and  they  had  to 
"  appear  and  give  an  account  of  themselves.  The  people 
**  wanted  them  to  pay  a  fine,  but  they  refused  to  do  this,  so  at 
**  last  they  let  them  go,  saying,  *  Well,  you  worship  your  God  as 
"  you  like,  only  let  us  alone  to  follow  our  customs  and  worship 
"  our  gods  in  our  way.'  Both  Christians  and  inquirers  have 
**  to  put  up  with  a  good  deal  of  persecution  in  a  small  way. 
**  They  are  looked  upon  as  fools,  and  told  that,  when  people 
**  are  baptized  their  hearts  are  taken  out  of  their  bodies,  and 
**  they  are  no  longer  Wa-Gogo." 

It  speaks  ill  for  the  peace  of  the  Church,  when  such  acts 
done  by  converts,  are  reported  by  the  Missionary  with  a  certain 
amount  of  satisfaction,  and  are  thought  worthy  of  record  in  an 
Annual  Report :  it  does  not  surprise  me  to  hear,  that  a  good  deal 
of  persecution  has  to  be  put  up  with  by  men,  who  deliberately  set 
fire  to  the  sacred  buildings  of  their  fellow-villagers :  they  would 
have  been  loud  in  their  outcry,  if  their  own  place  of  worship  had 
been  set  fire  to  :  they  do  not  seem  to  have  learnt  one  of  the 
fundamental  principles  of  their  Faith,  to  do  unto  others  as  they 
would  wish  that  men  should  do  unto  them.  I  think  that  this 
Missionary  also  might  have  quoted  the  Devil  as  stirring  up 
opposition  on  the  part  of  Christians  against  the  Pagans. 


5.  Making  a  Mission  a  handle  for  Political  Schemes. 

Nothing  can  be  more  reprehensible,  or  wicked,  than  to 
make  Christian  Missions  a  handle  for  political  expansion. 
This  has  been  the  openly  avowed,  and  persistent,  practice 
of  France  for  nearly  half-a-century :  they  impute  the  same 
motive  to  the  British  Missions :  in  former  years  there  was 
not  the  slightest  ground  for  such  a  charge,  but  the  events 
of  U-Ganda  have  left  a  stain  on  the  British  shield.  A 
British  Mission  went  there  without  any  impulse  given  by  the 
Government :  a  Chartered  Company  some  years  later  occupied 
the  Region  for  its  own  commercial  purposes,  and  finding  that 
it  did  not  answer,  prepared  to  withdraw.  The  friends  of  the 
Mission  collected  large  sums  to  induce  the  Chartered  Com- 
pany to  remain,  and  have  since  tried  to  induce  the  British 
Government  to  occupy  the  Region.  The  French  naturally 
impute  the  same  motives  to  the  British,  as  guide   their  own 


(    71     ) 

conduct.  In  all  parts  of  Asia  and  Africa,  the  French  Mis- 
sions are  notoriously  the  advance-guards  of  French  occupation  : 
large  grants  were  made  to  the  late  Cardinal  Lavigerie  on 
account  of  his  political  services  at  Tunis.  The  French  Mis- 
sionary-Reports everywhere  identify  the  Christian  Religion  with 
France. 

In  the  Missionary-periodical  published  weekly  at  Lyons,  called 
the  Missions  Catholiques,  so  persistently  was  it  imputed  to  the 
Governments  in  England  and  the  United  States,  that  they  made 
use  of  the  Missionaries  of  their  respective  countries  to  advance 
their  political  interests,  that  in  1882  I  addressed  the  Editor  a 
letter  of  remonstrance,  but  it  had  no  effect,  and  the  generosity 
of  Roman  Catholics  is  still  encouraged  by  impressing  upon 
them,  that  their  contributions  will  not  only  assist  the  spread  of 
the  Romish  Religion,  but  check  the  progress  of  the  Protestant 
political  influences  of  England  and  America.  The  accounts  of 
the  French  Missions  to  Polynesia  is  one  long  tirade  against 
English  Protestants,  and  appeals  to  French  Naval  officers  to 
help  them  with  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh.  As  soon  as  the  Priests 
got  a  footing  in  an  island,  they  persuaded  some  of  the  Chiefs  to 
place  themselves  under  the  protection  of  France,  and  urged 
them  to  exclude  English  heretics. 


(     72     ) 


II.     MODES   OF  CONVERSION. 


CAP. 
II. 


Modes  of  Conversion. 


Tribal,  not  Individual,  Conversion. 

Purchase  and   Baptism  of  Slaves  bought  from  the 

Slave-Dealer. 
Securing  Conversion  by  offer  of  Material  Advantages. 
Omitting  Bible-Teaching  in  the  Vernacular. 


I.  Tribal,  not  Individual,  Conversion. 

In  the  early  ages  Conversion  of  individuals  was  quite  excep- 
tional. When  the  Chief,  for  the  hope  of  material  advantage,  or 
a  desire  for  change,  or  under  the  influence  of  superstition,  or 
the  blandishments  of  his  favourite  wife,  as  in  Kent,  was 
persuaded  to  be  baptized,  all  the  Court,  and  the  Army,  followed 
suit,  and  the  meaner  subjects  were  compelled  to  do  so. 
Augustine  landed  in  Kent,  converted  Ethelbert  by  the  aid  of 
his  Frank  wife,  and  a  few  months  afterwards  ten  thousand  of  his 
subjects  were  baptized  in  the  River  Swale  without  any  prepara- 
tion, or  any  knowledge  of  what  they  were  doing.  When  by  the 
persuasion  of  a  wife,  a  mother,  or  mistress,  a  Chief  relapsed 
into  Idolatry,  the  Chroniclers  can  find  no  words  sufficient  to 
abuse  the  Chief,  and  the  female,  who  influenced  him.  The 
case  of  Ethelbert  is  but  a  sample  of  many  similar  ones.  Only 
imagine  a  Missionary  in  British  India  trying  to  work  the  Con- 
version of  the  people  through  the  influence  of  the  Raja  of 
Maisur,  or  Jaipur,  or  the  Nawab  of  Hyderabad,  or  the  ladies  of 
their  Zanana. 

I  look  with  great  suspicion  at  the  so-called  Conversions  in 
U-Ganda :  the  Priests  of  Rome  report,  that  the  Bishop  has 
limited  them  to  a  fixed  number  of  baptisms  for  each  month  : 
in  such  converts  there  is  no  stability  whatever:  if  a  Mahometan 
preacher  were  to  appear,  they  would  flock  to  him. 


(     73     ) 

2.  Purchase  and  Baptism   of  Slaves  bought   from  the 
Slave-Dealer. 

In  the  story  of  Missions  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  that  from  the 
earliest  times  to  the  present  hour,  the  purchase  of  slaves  for  the 
purpose  of  bringing  up  the  males  as  acolytes  and  priests,  and 
the  females  to  supply  wives,  has  been  part  of  the  system,  is  not 
denied,  but  justified  even  by  those,  who  do  not  themselves 
practise  it.  Pope  Gregory,  a.d.  596,  wrote  to  his  Agents  in  Gaul 
to  buy  up  Anglo-Saxon  lads  of  the  age  of  17  to  20,  and  train 
them  in  Monasteries  to  become  Missionaries  in  England. 
Wildibrod  purchased  boys  to  train  for  his  Mission.  Anskar 
purchased  boys  for  the  same  purpose.  John  de  Monte  Corvino, 
in  a  letter  dated  1305  a.d.  from  Pekin,  mentions,  that  he  had 
purchased  Chinese  boys,  and  baptized  them,  and  that  he 
had  gradually  got  together  150  children  of  Pagans,  varying 
from  7  to  II  years  of  age:  he  had  baptized  them  all,  and  taught 
them  Chinese,  Greek,  and  Latin,  to  form  a  choir  in  his  Church, 
and  to  copy  the  Psalter  (Yule's  Cathay,  pp.  199,  206).  We 
gather  from  this,  that  there  were  no  Mass-books,  or  copy  of  the 
Scriptures,  in  Chinese,  but  only  in  European  languages,  which 
were  taught  to  these  unconverted  Pagans  to  read,  chant,  or 
repeat,  without  comprehending  a  word  of  their  meaning. 

Up  to  this  day  the  Missionaries  of  Rome  do  not  hesitate  to 
purchase  children.  Since  the  outcry  against  Slavery,  it  is  called 
Redemption,  or  "  Rachat,"  but  it  is  the  grossest  form  of  child- 
selling  on  the  part  of  the  dealers,  who  steal  the  children  from 
other  tribes,  and  barter  them,  male  or  female,  to  the  Romish 
Priests,  not  caring  whether  the  girls  go  into  Harems,  or  the 
boys  are  converted  into  Eunuchs,  or  worse.  Tippu  Tib  would 
gladly  supply  enough  converts  for  a  Church  at  a  fair  price.  Any 
reader  of  the  Missions  Catholiques  will  have  seen  notices  of  its 
existence  in  Missions  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  for  the  best 
and  holiest  purposes,  and  yet  the  practice  has  in  it  the  germs  of 
much  evil.  As  long  as  there  is  a  demand  for  children,  the 
kidnappers  and  slave-dealers  will  find  it  worth  their  while  to 
continue  the  trade.  It  is  a  question  of  so  many  dollars  as 
purchase-money:  it  is  not  likely  that  Parents  would  sell  their 
own  children,  or  tribesmen  children  of  their  own  tribe.  The 
children  must  be  stolen,  and  then  sold.  The  Romish  Priests 
make  this  part  of  their  system,  and  glory  in  it.  On  Lake 
Tanganyika  the  Priests  had  purchased  children  :  the  relatives 
came  to  claim  them,  and  on  refusal  killed  the  Priests,  and  it 
served  them  right ;  they  call  it  **  Redemption,"  but  it  is  really 
**  Slave -purchasing"  of  an  insidious  character,  and  it  stains  the 
character  of  a  Mission,  that  such  a  practice  should  be  allowed. 
One  Protestant  Society  in  ignorance  was  thinking  of  adopting 


(     74     ) 

the  practice,  but  I  denounced  it,  and  it  was  dropped.  Redemp- 
tion of  a  slave  is  a  term  properly  applied  to  the  recovery  in 
exchange  for  a  sum  of  money  of  a  wife,  or  child,  or  tribesman, 
kidnapped  in  a  raid,  but  it  is  not  properly  applied  to  the 
deliberate  purchase  by  strangers  of  children,  who  have  been 
kidnapped  for  the  purpose  of  sale  for  moral,  or  immoral,  purposes. 
No  Missionary  should  tolerate  such  a  practice.  In  the  Missions 
Catholiques  of  Lyons  there  are  weekly  entries  of  sums  paid  to 
the  Editor  for  the  redemption  (rachat)  of  a  little  girl  to  be 
baptized  under  the  name  of  Marie,  or  a  little  boy  to  be  called 
Jean.  Think  of  the  indignation  of  the  Christian  world,  if 
Christian  boys  were  carried  off,  sold  to  Mahometan  Missionaries, 
and  circumcised  with  the  name  of  Selim,  or  Mahomet. 

3.  Securing  Conversions  by  offer  of  Material 

Advantages. 

This  lever  was  largely  made  use  of  in  past  Centuries,  and 
always  will  be  by  unprincipled  and  short-sighted  Missionaries. 
In  an  age,  when  all  men  were  venal,  when  all  public  offices  were 
put  up  to  the  highest  bidder,  the  temptation  to  the  Pagan,  who 
never  had,  or  had  ceased  to  have,  faith  in  his  ancestral  belief, 
must  have  been  tremendous  to  accept  baptism,  a  simple, 
painless,  and  inoffensive  rite,  nominally  conform,  and  thus 
procure,  or  retain,  office,  or  present,  or  obtain,  lands,  influence 
and  wealth.  The  phrase  **  Rice  Christians"  reminds  us,  that 
the  same  disease  prevails  in  many  Mission-Fields :  How  about 
the  Katikero  in  U-Ganda }  The  Romish  Priests  charge  the 
Protestant  Missionaries,  and  rightly  charge  them,  with  this  failing, 
but  call  loudly  for  money  for  their  own  flocks.  The  Missions 
Catholiques  contains  one  continual  howl  from  every  part  of  the 
world  for  money,  food,  clothing,  for  their  people,  which  enables 
them  to  play  the  part  of  the  Benevolent  Friend.  In  the  same 
category  comes  the  ejection  from  office,  or  depression,  of  those, 
who  decline  to  worship  Baal,  or  in  other  words,  the  poorest 
heathen  of  each  community. 

4.  Omitting  Bible-Teaching  in  the  Vernacular. 

This  seems  to  have  been  the  peculiar  sin  of  the  early  ages, 
as  it  is  in  Romish  Missions  to  this  day.  In  every  country 
the  idea  was  to  retain  the  Latin  liturgy,  and  Latin  version 
of  the  Scriptures,  and  it  is  difficult  to  understand  why,  for  it 
was  not  the  language  of  our  Lord  and  His  Apostles,  nor  of  the 
Missionaries,  nor  of  the  people  to  be  converted  :  they  shrunk  as 
it  were  from  the  trouble  of  acquiring  barbarous  languages,  or 
allowing  them  to  be  the  vehicle  of  prayer  and  praise.     As  time 


(     75     ) 

went  on,  Latin  became  more  entirely  dead,  and  the  barbarous 
languages  more  polished :  still  there  was  no  change  in  Method. 
Augustine  at  Canterbury,  597  A.D.,  and  Otho  at  Pyritz  in  Poland, 
1 1 24  A.D.,  addressed  their  hearers  only  through  an  ignorant 
interpreter.  Boniface  and  his  companions  were  able  to  address 
the  Saxons  in  a  dialect  of  their  common  language,  but  no 
attempt  was  made  to  translate  the  Scriptures,  yet  Centuries 
before  it  had  been  revealed  to  Ulfilas,  and  Cyril,  and  Methodius, 
that  the  most  important  requisite  for  a  successful  Mission  was 
to  introduce  the  Scriptures,  and  the  Liturgy,  in  the  Vernacular  of 
each  Region.  Rome  remonstrated,  868  a.d.,  against  the  trans- 
lation of  Methodius  in  the  Slavonic  languages,  as  it  does  still 
against  the  translations  in  the  languages  of  the  world  :  had  the 
common  folk  had  the  opportunity  of  listening  to  the  words  of 
our  Lord  in  their  own  vulgar  tongue,  the  path  of  Conversion 
would  have  been  easier,  and  the  results  more  satisfactory :  the 
so-called  converted  Chiefs  would  not  have  continued  in  their 
uncontrolled  Immorality,  if  they  had  been  acquainted  with  the 
lessons  taught  in  the  New  Testament. 

In  modern  Missions  the  Bible  is  the  sword  of  the  Missionary, 
and  modern  Science  has  supplied  him  with  unlimited  number  of 
copies.  The  Priests  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  notably  at  Beirut, 
in  South  India,  and  U-Ganda,  have  admitted,  that  translations 
must  be  supplied,  and  this  necessarily  brings  with  it  Bible- 
teaching. 


(     76     ) 


III.     DIFFICULTIES   ATTENDING  CONVERSION. 


CAP. 
III. 


10 

II 


12 


13 


H 


15 


Difficulties  attending  Conversion. 


Degradation,  or  Imperfect  Teaching,  of  the  Gospel. 

Pagan  Notions  of  Nominal  Converts. 

Imposing  new  conditions  precedent  to  Baptism. 

Relapse  of  Converts  into  their  Old,  or  adoption  of  a 
New,  Religion. 

Low  Culture,  and  extreme  Intellectual  Denseness,  of 
Converts. 

Questions  connected  with  the  Matrimony  of  Converts. 

Credulousness  of  any  new  story. 

Injurious  Influence  of  Western  Education  on  certain 
Classes ;  is  Education  a  necessary  part  of  Evan- 
gelization or  Civilization  ? 

Evils  arising  from  raising  the  material  status  of 
Converts. 

Objections  to  little  Barracks  for  Converts. 

Dwelling  too  strongly  on  the  Sins  of  the  non-Christian 
World. 

Assertion  that  Missionaries  have  material  help  from 
God. 

Treating  with  Contempt  the  Parental  rights  of  non- 
Christians. 

Necessity  of  Union  of  Denominations  into  one 
National  Church. 

Certainty  of  Opposition  from  Old,  and  New,  Forms 
of  Religion. 


I.  Degradation,  or  Imperfect  Teaching,  of  the  Gospel. 

The  forms  of  this  evil  are  manifold  :  i .  The  Gospel-Message, 
as  conveyed  in  the  New  Testament,  may  be  degraded,  and 
diluted,  by  the  accretions  of  European  Churches.  2.  The 
Central  Truth    may   be   inadequately   presented    to   the   poor 


(    77     ) 

ignorant  catechumen.  3.  There  may  be  too  large  a  flavour 
of  European  and  American  denominationalism.  4.  There  may- 
be a  mixture  of  European  and  American  National  weaknesses. 
5.  There  may  be  too  much  ritual,  or  too  much  dogma,  or  too 
much  civilization,  or  too  much  intellectual  Education.  6.  There 
may  be  rank  antinomianism.  7.  There  may  be  profitless 
asceticism. 

It  is  obvious,  that  the  Christianity  of  the  Anglo-Saxon 
Kingdoms  was  in  its  early  Centuries  mere  Ritualism :  their 
whole  Theology  was  the  Creed  and  Lord's  Prayer.  The  Eastern 
Church,  from  the  first  year  of  its  freedom  from  Pagan  super- 
stition, occupied  itself  in  Theology,  i.e.,  the  Nature  of  God  and 
the  Incarnation  of  Christ,  the  results  of  which  are  embodied  in 
the  Mhanasian  Creed,  which  would  not  help  a  professing  Chris- 
tian far  onwards  on  the  Christian  path.  The  Western  Church 
occupied  itself  with  the  nature  and  needs  of  Man,  the  results  of 
which  are  stated  by  Augustine  of  Hippo.  The  kind  of  Religion 
taught  by  Missionaries  to  Asia,  sent  out  by  Rome,  may  be  ex- 
emplified by  the  following  words  of  a  Bishop,  640-649,  in  the 
very  Century,  in  which  Augustine  landed  at  Canterbury.  "  He 
"  is  a  good  Christian,  who 

**  I.  comes  often  to  Church. 

"  2.  brings  his  offerings  to  be  laid  on  the  Altar. 

*'  3.  does  not  taste  of  his  produce,  until  he  has  offered  some 

"  to  God. 
*'  4.  as  often  as  the  holy  solemnities  return,  keeps  himself 

"  pure  some  days   before,  that  he  may  come  to  the 

*'  Altar  with  a  safe  conscience. 
*'  5.  commits  to  memory  the  Creed  and  Lord's  Prayer." 

Here  is  another  address,  made  by  a  Priest  of  that  period  : 
'*  Redeem  your  soul  from  punishment,  while  you  have  it  in 
"  your  power,  by 

**  I.  presenting  oblations  and  tithes  to  the  Church. 

*'  2.  bringing  candles  to  the  holy  places  according  to  your 

**  means. 
**  3.  coming  often  to  Church,  and  begging  suppliantly  for 

**  the  intercession  of  the  Saints. 
**  If  ye  do  these  things,  you  may  present  yourselves  with 

"  confidence  in  the  day  of  Judgment  before  the  tribunal 

"  of  the  Eternal  God,  and  say,  '  Give,  Lord,  for  we 

**  have  given.'"     (Mosheim,  II,  p.  92.) 

Now  when  such  was  the  absolute  ignorance  of  the  A,  B,  C,  of 
Religion  on  the  part  of  the  Pastor,  what  could  be  expected  from 


(     78     ) 

the  sheep  ?  It  is  notorious  that  the  majority  of  converts  are 
from  the  most  degraded  and  lowest  classes:  have  they  and 
their  still  more  ignorant,  and  degraded,  wives,  any  clear  per- 
ception of  the  new  religious  conception,  which  they  have 
nominally  accepted  ? 

I  quote  the  following  from  the  Church  Missionary-Society's 
Report,  1893.    I  knew  the  people  of  the  Region  referred  to  well : 

*  The  need  of  giving  careful  teaching  to  the  Christian  converts 

*  is  shown  by  a  discovery,  which  was  made  almost  by  accident 
'  at  Talwandi  Rama,  where  the  Christians  bear  an  exceptionally 

*  good  character.     Dr.  Weitbrecht  says :  '  Several  of  the  men 

*  were  being  prepared  for  confirmation,  when  I  paid  them  a 

*  visit  with  Padri  Fath  Masih,  and  the  latter  one  evening  held, 

*  as  he  often  does,  a  gyangiidari^  literally  patchwork  quilt  of 

*  religious  knowledge.     This  is  an  informal  meeting  under  a 

*  leader,  in  which  the  people  sit  round,  smoking  if  they  please, 
'  to  discuss  topics  of  religion,  and  the  like.     The  leader  allows 

*  each  one  in  turn  to  express  his  opinion,  and  then  sums  up,  or 

*  not,  as  he  pleases,  or  lets  the  question  circulate  once  more. 

*  At  this  special  meeting  it  came  out,  quite  incidentally,  that 

*  all  these  people,  with  the  exception  of  one,  who  was  already  a 

*  communicant,  held  the  pantheistic  doctrine  of  the  Vedanta, 

*  i.e.  that  all  religions  are  one  in  the  knowledge  of  truth  as  it 

*  is,  and  that  the  differences  between  them  are  only  for  the 
'  world  of  phenomena.  Can  we  fancy  a  group  of  English  field- 
'  labourers  discussing  such  a  subject  ?  These  people  had  been 
'  carefully  taught,  and  had  honestly  accepted  Christianity  as 
'  the  best  of  religions  in  the  world  of  maya  (illusion) ;  but  of 
'  course  we  were  unable  to  bring  them  forward  for  confirmation 

*  then.' " 

The  work,  the  duty,  of  the  Missionary  is  not  over  with  the  Bap- 
tism of  converts,  the  number  of  which  he  complacently  chronicles 
in  his  Annual  Report.  Great  troubles  may  be  anticipated  in 
the  neo-Christian  Churches.  In  the  first  century  a.d.  the  Gen- 
tile Churches  would  not  coalesce  with  the  Jewish  Churches. 
Nothing  but  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  put  an  end  to  the 
schism.  No  member  of  the  Church  at  Jerusalem  could  share 
the  Lord's  Supper  with  a  Gentile,  and  retain  his  ceremonial 
purity.  We  may  expect  the  same  phenomena  in  the  neo- 
Christian  Churches  in  India,  and  the  denominational  system  of 
Missions  will  accentuate  the  tendency.  Men  of  Caste  will  not 
associate,  as  far  as  Matrimony  and  commensality  go,  with  men 
of  low  Caste.  Ask  the  Secretary  of  a  Missionary  Association  to 
give  his  daughter  in  marriage  to,  or  share  the  evening  meal 
of,  a  pious  Christian  ticket-porter,  or  dustman,  and  he  would 
decline  :  why  place  a  burden  on  the  Indian  convert,  which  an 
Englishman  would  not  touch  with  his  finger }     Every  Indian 


(     79     ) 

Reformer  from  the  time  of  Buddha,  and  Kabir,  down  to  the 
present  Epoch,  have  tried  to  do  away  with  Caste,  and  have 
failed. 

The  other  evils  speak  for  themselves  :  there  may  be  signs  of 
them  all,  but  emphatically  they  are  not  signs  of  the  Kingdom. 

I  quote  the  following  from  the  Indian  Churchman  :  "Bishops 
"  Smythies  and  Hornby  are  asking  for  Indian  Christians  to 
*'  be  sent  over  to  Zanzibar  to  work  among  the  Indians  there 
*'  as  Mission-agents.  There  seems  little  chance  of  the  Bombay 
"  diocese  being  able  to  help  them,  as  there  is  a  dearth  of 
**  really  able  men  here,  and  with  the  exception  of  the  Church- 
**  Missionary-Society  there  is  no  provision  for  training  such 
"  men.  Christianity  in  some  parts  of  this  diocese  is,  I  fear, 
•*  a  very  nominal  thing,  and  until  this  is  recognised  we  cannot 
"  hope,  that  the  necessary  means  will  be  taken  to  remedy  this 
**  state  of  things.  As  a  rule  our  Missionaries,  instead  of  being 
**  concentrated  in  centres,  where  personal  influence  would  be 
**  brought  to  bear  on  those  amongst  whom  they  dwell,  are 
*'  scattered  units,  wearing  out  their  lives  in  travelling  as  quickly 
*'  as  possible  from  village  to  village,  and  paying  a  visit  which 
"  can  never  be  sufficiently  long  enough  to  really  influence  the 
**  people.  A  seven  days'  or  ten  days'  Mission  in  some  of  the 
**  larger  villages  might  do  good,  if  there  were  hope  of  steady 
**  work  being  carried  on  afterwards,  but  this  is  in  most  cases 
"  impossible,  owing  to  the  Mission-agent  having  to  itinerate 
"  through  some  fifteen  or  eighteen  villages  in  a  month.  The 
**  only  resident  person  is  a  schoolmaster,  who,  having  had 
"  no  training  as  a  teacher  of  any  sort,  is  useless  for  the  work  we 
"  refer  to.  I  do  not  wish  to  imply,  that  the  present  generation 
*'  of  Missionaries  is  responsible  for  this  state  of  things.  Many 
**  of  them  regret  it  as  much  as  I  do,  and  would  change  the 
"  system  of  work  entirely ;  but  it  is  not  always  the  case,  that 
"  those  who  see  the  defects  of  a  system  have  the  power  to 
**  remedy  them." 

The  difficulty  of  language  is  very  great :  in  China  Missionaries 
talk  complacently  of  the  Chinese  language,  as  if  that  vast  popu- 
lation spoke  one  language  instead  of  several  scores.  In  India 
people  do  not  talk  of  the  Indian  language,  because  it  is  notorious, 
that  there  are  at  least  one  hundred  :  but,  strange  to  say,  the 
necessity  of  having  one  Church  is  alluded  to,  when  it  is  obvious 
that,  if  people  do  not  understand  the  same  language,  comm.on 
worship  is  impossible.  One  congregation  must  wait  outside 
the  Church-door  until  the  service  of  the  other  is  completed. 

2.  Pagan  Notions  of  Nominal  Converts. 

We  have  only  to  look  under  the  surface,  and  mark  the  amount 
of  Paganism,  which  still  clings  to  Religion  in  Christian  countries. 


(     80     ) 

When  Europe  was  converted,  it  was  not  done  in  a  spirit  of  love 
to  the  people,  but  in  a  spirit  of  hatred  to  the  Pagan  Priesthood, 
hatred  to  the  Pagan  idols,  which  were  supposed  to  be  Devils. 
They  did  not  try  to  convert  by  reason,  or  by  advice,  but  by 
slaughter  of  Priests,  and  destruction  of  Temples.  They  knew 
nothing  of,  and  cared  nothing  for,  the  history  of  the  human  race, 
as  we  know  it,  of  the  deep  religious  feelings,  that  seem  to  be 
part  of  the  furniture  of  uncivilized  or  civilized  man.  They  had 
not  read  Paul's  address  at  Athens  and  Lystra:  how  the  poor 
heathen  felt  for  God,  if  haply  they  could  find  Him,  and  when  the 
heathen  consented  to  be  baptized,  as  at  Canterbury,  they  brought 
Paganism  with  them,  not  in  outward  form,  but  in  inward  reality, 
for  there  had  been  no  Conversion  of  the  Soul,  no  creating,  as  it 
were,  a  new  man. 

It  will  be  no  matter  of  surprise,  if  under  the  influence  of 
political  causes,  or  on  a  wave  of  religious  novelty,  a  whole 
Nation  of  nominal  Christians  turn  away  from  the  Christianity, 
which  was  only  skin-deep,  and  adopt  some  sensational  form  of 
their  old  Religion,  or  some  new  religious  conception.  We  may 
fairly  expect  this  in  U-Ganda :  the  story  of  their  conversion  by 
hundreds  and  thousands,  some  to  Protestantism,  some  to 
Romanism,  is  not  pleasant  reading.  There  must  be  a  great  deal 
of  Paganism  just  covered  over  with  a  liturgical  vaneer,  and  a 
surface-education,  and  a  smattering  of  Bible-knowledge, 
accompanied  by  an  absolute  certainty,  that  there  are  two  forms 
of  Christianity  so  deeply  opposed  to  each  other,  that  whichever 
gets  the  upper  hand  will  shoot  the  opposite  party  down  with 
Maxim-guns. 

3.  Imposing  New  Conditions  Precedent  to  Baptism. 

I  read  how  in  one  Mission-Station  Baptisms  are  performed 
in  secret,  and  the  neo-Christian  has  not  the  grace,  or  strength, 
to  confess  his  Saviour  before  the  world ;  that  is  his  affair,  but 
the  duty  of  the  Missionary  is  not  to  perform  the  rite  in  secret :  if 
the  catechumen  be  not  prepared  for  the  consequences,  the  rite 
cannot  be  performed.  There  must  be  no  mystery,  or  secret,  in 
such  matters.  I  am  glad  to  find  from  the  following  extract 
from  the  Church-Missionary-Society  Report  of  189 1-2,  that  the 
Missionary  in  Persia  is  now  of  the  same  opinion  : 

"One,  who  escaped  imprisonment  by  a  timely  warning  from 
**  some  one,  who  knew  what  was  impending,  left  off  coming  to 
"  me  for  instruction,  but  still  visited  us  occasionally,  and  ex- 
•*  pressed  his  conviction  of  the  truth  of  Christianity.  A  few 
**  weeks  ago,  before  returning  to  Persia,  he  consulted  with  me 
"  whether,  "as  religion  was  a  mere  personal  affair,  he  might  not 
**  be  baptized  privately,  without  any  strangers  knowing  about  it. 


(     81      ) 

"  so  that  afterwards  he  could  remain  in  his  social  position  as 
"before.  But  bearing  in  mind  that  'baptism  doth  represent 
"  unto  us  our  profession,'  I  did  not  feel  justified  to  administer 
**  it  upon  such  an  understanding,  and  counselled  him  to  seek 
**  more  grace  by  prayer  and  the  reading  of  God's  Word,  till 
**  either  religious  liberty  could  be  enjoyed  in  his  country,  or  he 
"  was  prepared  to  profess  Christ  at  any  risk.  In  the  same  way 
"  I  had  to  decline  the  application  for  baptism  of  an  aged 
**  Persian  trader,  who,  for  more  than  a  year,  had  been  coming 
"  to  our  Mission-house  for  religious  discussion,  because  I  could 
*'  not  discern  in  him  evidences  of  that  spiritual  awakening, 
"  which  seeks  Jesus  the  Saviour  of  sinners,  but  rather  feared 
*'  that  he  might  be  chiefly  actuated  by  secular  motives." 

And  another  case  from  the  same  Report : 

"  He  is  convinced  of  the  truth  of  Christianity,  and  has  ex- 
"  pressed  his  desire  to  be  baptized.  I  believe  him  to  be  sincere, 
*'  but  as  yet  he  is  not  strong  in  Faith.  He  asks  for  private 
"  baptism.  I  tell  him,  he  must  wait  until  he  has  courage  to 
**  receive  it  publicly." 

And  again  : 

**  A  wealthy  Brahmin  told  him,  that  he  trusted  Christ  as  his 
**  Saviour,  and  that  he  read  the  Bible,  and  prayed  to  Jesus  every 
"  day,  but  could  not  see  the  necessity  of  being  baptized,  and 
**  confessing  Christ  before  men." 

Another  form  of  difficulty  is  the  hasty  baptism  of  a  passing 
traveller,  who  does  not  intend  to  form  part  of  the  congregation 
of  the  Missionary,  who  admits  him  to  the  fold.    I  state  the  case: 

**  In  the  month  of  February  a  Mahometan  of  Turkish  origin 
**  was  brought  to  me,  who  expressed  a  strong  desire  for  baptism. 
**  The  peculiarity  of  the  case  was,  that  the  man  wished  to  be 
"  baptized  at  once,  as  he  was  returning  immediately  to  Ceylon, 
*'  where  he  carried  on  a  small  business,  as  a  confectioner  and 
'■*  shopkeeper.  He  had  come  to  Bombay  partly  on  business,  to 
'*  purchase  various  kinds  of  stores  for  his  shop,  and  partly 
"  to  obtain  Christian  books,  and  get  further  instruction  in  the 
*'  Christian  religion.  He  was  willing  to  have  remained  for  a 
"  time  so  as  to  be  more  fully  instructed,  but  he  had  a  partner, 
"  who  declined  to  remain  longer,  and  therefore  he  asked  for 
**  immediate  baptism.  If  we  had  had  no  other  knowledge  of 
**  the  man,  I  should  probably  have  declined  such  a  hasty 
**  baptism,  for,  as  a  rule,  I  have  found  such  baptisms  to  be 
**  eventually  unwise  ;  but  fortunately  there  was  a  Persian 
**  Christian  here,  a  very  trustworthy  man,  who  knew  him  well, 
"  and  spoke  highly  of  him.  I  therefore  baptized  him  on 
**  February  24,  and  he  at  once  returned  to  Ceylon.  The  reason 
"  he  gave  for  not  wishing  to  wait  till  after  his  return  to  Ceylon 
**  was,  that  there  was  no  Missionary  there  (in  Kandy)  who  knew 


(     82     ) 

**  either  Urdu,  Arabic,  or  Turkish,  and  he  did  not  know  English 
**  or  any  vernacular  of  the  place.  I  have  heard  from  him  since 
"  his  arrival  there." 

I  knew  a  Missionary  in  India,  who  started  a  separate  Mission 
of  his  own,  and  his  practice  was  to  go  into  a  village,  preach  the 
Gospel,  and,  if  on  the  hearing  of  his  words  anyone  came 
forward,  and  expressed  belief,  he  would  then  and  there  baptize 
him  :  he  justified  his  conduct  by  citing  the  practice  described  in 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  I  think,  that  I  have  seen  signs  of  this 
tendency  elsewhere. 

Another  form  of  difficulty  arises.  A  Missionary,  who  has 
adopted  a  peculiar  fad,  declines  to  baptize  anyone,  who  will 
not  accept  his  fad  as  a  condition  precedent :  this  is  indeed  a 
limitation  of  the  Lord's  free  gift.  Sometimes  a  vow  of  total 
abstinence  from  liquor  or  opium  is  required.  Tertullian  tells  us, 
that  the  Marcionist  admitted  no  married  man  to  Baptism  :  he 
must  divorce  his  wife :  he  was  not  permitted  to  enter  his  new 
Christian  life  before  he  had  directly  contravened  his  Lord's 
express  command.  Such  is  the  folly  of  mankind,  especially  of 
those  who  are  exceedingly  religious.  In  China  I  read  of  an 
inveterate  opium-smoker,  after  hearing  the  Word,  resolving  to 
give  up  his  pipe,  and  be  baptized,  and  try  to  influence  others 
to  do  the  same.  So  far  so  well,  and  his  conduct  is  highly 
commendable  ;  but  if,  owing  to  the  infirmity  of  the  flesh,  he  had 
been  unable  to  give  up  his  pipe,  and  yet  had  a  firm  belief  in  his 
Saviour,  was  he  to  be  excluded  from  the  Church  ?  Is  everyone, 
who  drinks  Whiskey  and  Port  Wine,  to  be  excluded  from  the 
Lord's  Table  ? 

A  great  deal  is  said  about  Caste  in  India :  is  everyone  before 
baptism  to  be  compelled  to  break  his  family-Caste,  as  regards 
Marriage  and  Commensality.  How  did  the  Early  Christians 
behave  to  those,  who  failed  in  morals,  or  diff"ered  in  some  detail 
of  dogma  ?  They  cut  them  off"  from  the  Church,  and  denied 
them  all  social  intercourse  :  **  with  such  a  one  do  not  eat." 
Was  not  this  Caste  in  private  life  ? 

I  read  in  the  Report  of  the  Church-Missionary-Society  for 
1893  the  following  additional  condition  precedent  to  Baptism, 
which  Missionaries  with  other  fads  impose  upon  converts : 
**  She  is  most  anxious  to  receive  baptism,  and  will,  I  hope, 
"  before  long,  in  her  own  city,  as  I  shall,  if  possible,  go  up 
*'  there.  One  matter,  which  was  of  some  difficulty  to  her,  she 
"  overcame  in  the  best  of  all  ways,  by  simply  obeying  what  she 
"  believed  to  be  God's  will.  The  question  was  as  to  unbinding 
"  her  own  and  her  two  children's  feet.  She  at  first  told  me, 
**  that  she  was  sure  it  would  only  hinder  the  spread  of  the 
"Gospel,  were  she  to  do  so,  as  other  women  w^ould  fear  to  come 
*•  to  the  church  in  case  that  should  be  required  of  them.     I 


(     83     ) 

**  must  tell  you  that  her  husband,  too,  had  given  his  eldest  girl 
**  strict  injunctions  not  to  unbind  her  feet,  when  he  brought  her 
**  to  school  a  year  ago.  However,  his  evident  fear,  that  he 
'*  would  lose  on  the  price  received  when  his  daughters  are 
**  betrothed  has  evidently  been  overruled  by  their  mother's 
"  conviction,  that  the  thing  should  be  done,  for  shortly  before 
"  returning  to  her  home  she  said  to  me,  '  I  don't  mind  what 
**  the  people  will  say  or  think ;  I  am  sure  it  is  pleasing  to  God, 
*•  that  I  should  do  this,'  and  the  new  shoes  and  stockings 
**  were  purchased  before  she  returned  home,  as  the  girl  is  still 
"  with  us." 

Have  we  not  heard  of  European  women  wearing  tight-laced 
stays  much  to  their  injury,  painting  their  faces,  dyeing  their  hair 
after  the  manner  of  Jezebel  ?  but  are  these  poor  fools,  if  they 
have  by  God's  grace  a  saving  Faith,  to  be  excluded  from  Baptism, 
unless  they  buy  new  stays,  and  leave  off  the  painting  ? 

1  quote  another  instance  from  the  Church-Missionary-Society- 
Report,  1893:  "When  Mansabdar  began  to  show  an  eager 
**  desire  for  baptism,  the  great  difficulty  about  polygamy  (for  he 
*'  had  three  wives)  blocked  the  way.  He  was  privately  told,  that 
"  he  would  have  to  put  away  two  of  them,  and  only  could  keep 
'*  one.  To  this  he  after  some  time  agreed,  and  in  church  at 
**  Narowal,  before  the  congregation,  Mr.  Bateman  interpolated 
**  among  the  usual  pre-Baptismal  questions  the  following  :  *  Art 
**  thou  prepared  to  call  two  of  the  wives  thou  now  hast  thy 
**  mother'  }  [To  call  one's  wife  'mother'  is  among  Mahometans 
**  tantamount  to  divorcing  her.]  To  this  he  replied,  *  I  hereby 
"  call  them  mother.'  After  his  baptism  he  returned  to  Dhrag. 
*'  There  was  a  terrible  commotion  in  his  household.  He 
*'  declared,  that  he  had  taken  refuge  in  Jesus  from  the  wrath, 
**  which  his  sins  deserved,  and  told  the  third  wife,  that  as  he 
**  was  a  Christian,  she  too  was  free  by  Mahometan  Law  to 
"  leave  him  if  she  pleased.  He  was  not  less  plain-spoken  to 
**  the  villagers,  and  now  he  lives  a  bold  soldier  and  servant  of 
"  Christ,  and  urges  his  neighbours  to  accept  the  Saviour.  One 
"  day,  as  we  were  walking  along  a  street  in  his  village,  he  said : 
"  *  I  know  that  these  people  will  all  become  followers  of  Christ, 
**  but  oh  !  that  I  might  see  it  before  I  die.' " 

Mr.  Bateman's  words  on  the  subject  of  indiscriminate 
baptism  are  too  important  to  be  passed  over.  He,  or  rather 
the  joint  report,  says  :  **  When  we  received  these  people, 
**  together  with  a  certificate  of  their  baptism,  there  were  not 
"  five  in  a  hundred  of  them,  who  knew  anything  distinctively 
"  Christian,  though  several  hundreds  of  them  were  registered 
**  as  communicants.  Many  would  tell  you,  that  they  had  become 
**  Christians  mukti  de  waste  (to  obtain  Salvation),  but  if  you  asked 
**  them  what  mukti  meant,  they  could  give  you  no  answer  at  all. 


(     84     ) 

"  There  was  many  a  village  with  a  Christian  community  in  it, 
"  wherein  nobody,  man,  woman,  or  child,  had  ever  bowed  the 
"  knee  in  Christian  pra3^er,  or  knew  that  there  was  such  a  book 
*'  as  the  Bible.  And  when  we  began  to  work  amongst  them, 
*'  they  would  resent  the  invitation  to  worship  or  to  learn,  as  a 
"  novel  burden,  for  which  they  had  not  bargained.  At  first  we 
"  tried  to  teach  and  to  work  through  the  men,  who  had  been 
*'  paid  agents  of  the  American  Mission,  and  who  were  pre- 
"  sumably  the  best  of  their  class.  We  have  been  obliged  to 
*'  discharge  every  one  of  these,  not  generally  for  mere  incom- 
**  petence,  but  for  worse.  They  were  most  of  them  men,  who 
"  had  brought  their  brethren  forward  for  baptism  in  order  that 
**  they  themselves  might  gain  employment  and  prestige,  which 
**  would  be  profitable  and  useful  to  themselves  at  any  rate. 
"  My  own  conviction  is,  that  the  result  of  the  baptism  of 
**  masses  of  uninstructed  people  is  downright  bad;  bad  for  the 
**  baptized,  bad  for  the  heathen,  and  bad  for  the  Mahometans ; 
*'  and  that  we  could  have  employed  our  time  g^nd  strength  to 
"  much  better  purpose  on  behalf  of  all,  had  these  baptisms  not 
**  been  administered." 

4.  Relapse  of  Converts  into  their  Old,  or  adoption  of 
A  New,  Religion. 

At  one  time  it  was  not  thought  good  form  in  a  Report  to 
allude  to  the  lapses  back  into  old  beliefs,  or  the  adoption  of  new 
ones.  In  those  days  perhaps  there  were  not  many  converts, 
but  now  each  Annual  Report  of  each  Mission  tells  us  of  this 
great  feature  in  the  progress  of  Evangelization.  When  a  man 
has  changed  his  Faith  once,  there  is  always  a  risk,  that  he  will 
do  it  again,  and  something  more :  he  will  become  a  bitter  enemy 
of  his  late  friends.  In  the  future  decennial  Census  of  British 
India  this  feature  will  be  recorded,  for  this  is  an  era  of  spiritual 
disturbance.     The  ice  of  cold  centuries  has  been  broken. 

I  give  some  instances  :  **  The  Missionaries  at  Tunis  and 
"  Algeria  have  lately  been  much  tried  by  the  apostasy  or 
"  deliberate  hypocrisy  of  professed  converts.  This  is,  perhaps, 
**  the  heaviest  trial  in  the  life  of  a  Missionary.  He  lives 
"  if  the  converts  stand  fast  in  the  Lord.  They  are  his 
**  glory  and  joy,  the  one  reward  for  the  labour,  to  win  which 
"  he  is  content  to  endure  all  things,  and  for  which  he  counts 
*'  no  labour  and  no  suffering  too  great.  But  when  they  fail, 
**  when  they  prove  false,  reprobate,  how  bitter  is  the  sorrow, 
'*  how  keen  the  disappointment !  To  have  marked  what  seems 
"  to  be  the  dawn  of  spiritual  life  in  a  soul,  and  then  to  have 
**  watched  for  months,  or  even  years,  its  seemingly  gradual 
"  development ;  to  have  rejoiced  with  a  joy  too  deep  for  words 


(     85     ) 

*'  over  a  soul,  that  seemed  really  to  have  been  won  for  Christ ; 
**  and  then  to  find,  that  the  whole  profession  from  first  to  last 
"  had  been  merely  a  clever  counterfeit,  is  indeed  a  bitter  sorrow, 
'*  such  as  none  but  they  who  have  at  least  in  a  measure  tasted 
**  it  can  fully  understand.  Yet  one  thing  is  perfectly  plain,  that 
"  this  has  been  the  lot  of  the  faithful  ministers  of  Christ  from 
*'  the  very  beginning." 

In  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report  of  1893  I  read: 
"  Another  cause  of  anxiety  is  the  apparent  number  of  defections. 
**  Many  Christians  disappear  unaccounted  for.  The  total  number 
**  of  baptisms  during  the  last  five  years  was  26,574,  which,  added 
**  to  the  number  of  Christians  at  the  close  of  1887,  would  give  a 
*'  total  of  45,863.  If  from  this  number  an  estimated  loss  of 
"  5  per  cent,  through  deaths  be  deducted  for  each  year,  the  de- 
*'  fections  must  have  been  3,000,  or  say  600  a  year,  at  least." 

And  again  in  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report  of  1892  : 
**  The  spirit  of  the  congregation,  which  has  been  referred  to  in 
*'  former  Reports,  shows  no  improvement,  and  the  lack  of  unity, 
**  which  resulted,  renders  it  less  a  matter  of  surprise  that  no 
*'  baptisms  occurred,  but  that,  on  the  contrary,  several  left  the 
"  communion,  and  some  of  the  catechumens,  relapsed  to 
**  heathenism  for  a  time,  discontinued  all  intercourse  with  the 
**  Missionary,  and  do  not  seem  to  have  returned  to  membership 
**  in  the  Protestant  congregation.  The  reason  of  the  other 
**  three  leaving  is  not  known." 

In  the  mercurial  population  of  the  Empire  of  Japan  the  most 
extreme  oscillation  may  be  expected.  My  own  feeling  is,  that 
the  danger  is  greater  from  the  attacks  of  the  newly-formed 
sensational  and  quasi-spiritual  forms  of  belief,  represented  by 
many  names,  than  from  the  old-fashioned  Book-Religions, 
which  have  settled  down  to  meaningless  ritual.  In  the  Indian 
Churchman  is  noticed  a  book  on  the  Problem  of  Christianity 
and  Scepticism,  or  Lessons  from  twenty  years  experience  in  the 
field  of  Christian  Evidence,  from  which  I  quote  the  following : 

'*  We  ought  to  be  very  careful  not  to  encourage  seekers  to 
*'  profess  more  than  they  believe;  and  equally  careful  not  to 
**  reject  those,  who  believe,  at  any  given  point  in  their  career, 
"  less  than  we  wish.  I  am  afraid  we  are  to  blame  here.  The 
"  principle,  that  you  must  grasp  Christianity  in  its  entirety,  or 
*'  not  touch  it  at  all,  is,  I  think,  unjustifiable.  Our  Lord  plainly 
*'  recognised  the  fact,  that  there  were  certain  things  in  His  teach- 
"  ing  which  even  His  Apostles  could  not  receive  at  the  then 
"  stage  of  their  culture.  It  is  my  profound  conviction,  that  our 
"  forgetfulness  of  this  has  greatly  contributed  to  the  increase  of 
**  unbelief,  and  that  our  remembrance  of  it,  if  embodied  in.  our 
"  conduct,  would  do  more  than  anything  else  to  bring  sceptics 
*'  back  to  Christ." 


(     86     ) 

My  own  attention  has  been  drawn  to  the  subject,  and  my  views 
are  given  in  my  book  entitled  **  Clouds  on  the  Horizon,"  1891, 
or  "Essay  on  the  various  forms  of  Error,  which  stand  in  the 
way  of  the  acceptance  of  Christian  Truth." 

Dr.  Weitbrecht  of  the  Panjab,  in  the  Church-Missionary- 
Society-Report,  states  as  follows : 

"  The  Brahmin  lad,  Kunj  Lai,  an  account  of  whose  baptism 

*  was  given  in  last  year's  Annual  Report,  has,  to  Dr.  Weitbrecht's 

*  great  surprise  and  sorrow,  joined  the  Arya  Samaj.      On  the 

*  other  hand,  a  former  catechist  at  Fathgarh,  Narayan  Prashad, 

*  who  apostatized  in  1887  to  Mahometanism,  although  previous 
'  to  his  baptism  he  had  been  a  Hindu,  together  with  his  family 

*  of  seven  persons,  has  publicly  abjured  Mahometanism,  and 
'  they  have  been  re-admitted  to  the  Church  as  penitents.     The 

*  apostacy  of  this  man  arose  upon  a  question  regarding  his 
'  son's  marriage,  and  such  questions  are  of  continual  recurrence. 

*'  At  Osomare,  which  Mr.  Bennett  visited,  he  found  that  nearly 

*  all  the  professing  Christians  had  relapsed  into  Polygamy,  and 

*  some  into  Idolatry,  and  one  into  Mahometanism.  He  con- 
'  sidered  the  place  to  be  diminishing  in  importance,  and  to 

*  present  no  openings  for  aggressive  work  towards  the  interior. 

*  One  of  our  converts   was   talked   over  by  his    friends,   and 

*  consented  to  do  as  they  wished,  and,  in  spite  of  all  our  efforts, 
'  expressed  his  determination  to  return  to  heathenism.     One  of 

*  the  arguments  used  by  his  friends  was,  that  his  sickness  was 

*  owing  to  the  anger  of  the    gods,  and   that   on  renouncing 

*  Christianity  he  would  at  once  recover.     The  next  day  he  had 

*  a  relapse,  and  two  days  afterwards  he  died." 

The  Bishop  of  Blomfontein  in  his  Charge,  1893,  writes  :  **  He 
'  would  have  (i)  a  class  of  Hearers,  (2)  a  Catechuminate  for 
'  three  years  :  that  the  responsibility  of  remitting  sins  by  Baptism 

*  is  at  least  as  great  as  that  of  retaining  them  by  withholding 
'  Baptism,  for  nothing  had  done  more  to  weaken  the  Army  of 
'  Christ  than  the  failure  or  desertion  of  those,  who  had  been 

*  hurriedly  converted."  He  alludes  to  the  painfully  large 
number  of  (so-called)  Christians,  who  had  fallen  away,  or  been 
cast  out,  but  he  orders  a  list  of  them  to  be  kept,  and  prayers  to 
be  offered  for  them. 

Excommunication  should  not  be  too  rigidly  enforced.  "  Un- 
**  due  severity,  even  in  case  of  moral  offences,  is  to  be  deprecated, 
"  bearing  in  mind  the  low  standard  of  the  environment  of 
**  the  neo-Christians,  and  the  examples  supplied  in  the  Old 
*'  Testament  of  nearly  universal  moral  lapses,  and  laxness  of 
**  conduct.  What  will  become  of  the  man  put  out  of  the 
"  Church  for  either  cause  ?  It  entails  the  loss  of  the  soul  of  an 
"  individual  or  a  family,  and  of  children  yet  unborn." 


(     87     ) 


5-  Low  Culture,  and  Extreme  Intellectual  Density,  of 

Converts. 

No  idea  can  be  formed  of  the  gross  ignorance  of  all,  but 
the  Priesthood,  of  the  simplest  elements  of  Divine  Truth,  and 
of  the  Bible,  at  the  time  of  the  Conversion  of  Europe.  The 
introduction  so  conspicuously  of  the  names  of  deified  mortals, 
local  martyrs,  and  saints,  so  darkened  the  vision  of  the  laity, 
that  the  figure  and  name  of  Christ  seem  removed  to  a 
distant  obscurity.  A  great,  principal,  and  all-powerful,  Deity 
was  accepted  as  a  fact,  and  a  certainty  of  a  day  of  Judgment 
and  Hell-fire,  but  the  Holy  Spirit  was  ignored,  or  his  place 
occupied  by  the  Mother  of  our  Lord,  and  heart-prayer,  and 
real  penitence,  were  crushed  out  by  an  unintelligible  ritual  in 
an  unknown  tongue.  It  may  be  doubted,  whether  the  people 
of  India  are  more  ignorant,  and  less  receptive  of  Divine  Truth, 
than  were  the  Teutons  and  Slavs  of  that  period,  but  it  is 
beyond  the  power  of  imagination  to  suppose,  that  a  Protestant 
Missionary  would  pretend  to  teach  such  flocks  in  a  dead 
European  language,  and  read  to  them  the  Scripture  in  that 
tongue.  This  is,  of  course,  what  a  Missionary  of  Rome  does 
to  this  very  day,  and  the  results  are  known. 

There  can  be  no  question,  that  many  undergo  the  process 
of  so-called  Conversion  without  understanding  all,  and  some 
cannot  be  made  to  understand  anything,  and  to  remain 
unconverted.  In  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  we  read  of  many 
Conversions,  which  seem  to  have  been  hasty,  and  wonder  how 
such  Methods  would  work.  I  quote  from  the  report  of  a 
Missionary  given  in  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report,  1893: 
**  The  heathen  in  Lucknow  and  in  the  district  around  have  for 
**  ages  been  in  such  thick  darkness  and  superstition,  that  they 
"  have  fallen  into  a  very  deep  sleep,  and  nothing  but  the  power 
"  of  the  Holy  Ghost  can  awaken  these  dead  souls  and  say  to 
"■  them,  'Awake,  thou  that  sleepest,  and  arise  from  the  dead, 
"  and  Christ  shall  give  thee  light.'  It  does  not  lessen  our 
**  responsibility,  it  rather  urges  us  to  come  to  their  rescue. 
**  They  are  like  men  in  a  burning  house,  heedless  of  their 
"  danger.  These  poor  people  seem  to  have  no  concern  about  a 
*'  future  life,  so  taken  up  are  they  with  their  pice  and  cowries. 
'*  May  the  Holy  Ghost  be  so  given  to  each  one  of  us,  that  we 
*'  may  be  instant  in  season  and  out  of  season  to  turn  their 
**  attention  to  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ !  " 

Here  is  the  opinion  of  a  Missionary,  quoted  in  the  same 
Report :  "  From  impressions,  that  had  been  made  on  me  at 
"  the  five  Annual  Meetings  of  the  Society  at  Exeter,  I  had  the 


(      88     ) 

**  privilege  of  attending,  and  elsewhere,  I  had  the  opinion,  that 
*'  the  heathen  were  eagerly  crying  out  for  the  Gospel  of  Jesus 
*'  Christ.  I  had  heard  of  crowds  of  people  in  Japan  and  China 
**  coming,  so  I  thought  the  virgin  soil  of  heathen-lands  would 
"  be  much  easier  to  work  with  than  the  much-trodden  and 
'*  beaten  track  of  South  London. 

*'  The  close  of  my  first  year  in  India  brings  me  to  a  different 
"  conclusion.  This  is  the  verdict :  that  wherever  we  go  the 
"  human  heart  is  the  same.  The  carnal  mind  is  at  enmity 
"  against  God.  Men  do  not  naturally  like  the  terms  of  the 
**  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  not  until  they  are  really  aroused 
*'  to  think  about  their  souls,  and  whither  they  are  going,  that 
*'  they  see  and  acknowledge  the  nature  of  the  offer  made  to 
'*  them."  In  fact  their  hearts  are  encased  in  a  thick  rind  of  the 
cares  of  this  world,  and  it  seems  impossible  to  pierce  through  it. 

Some  more  sanguine  Missionary  writes  as  follows  from  a 
five-year-old  Mission  in  the  Kongo-basin:  *'When  I  came  away, 
"  there  was  a  church  of  united  devoted  followers  of  Christ. 
**  Many  at  home  may  think,  that  Christians  so  recently  gathered 
"  from  among  the  heathen  must  be  of  a  very  low  type. 
*•  Ignorant  they  are  and  must  be  on  many  points ;  neither 
**  would  they  be  well  up  in  Bible-history,  nor  have  very  clear 
**  ideas  on  many  matters  of  doctrine.  But  they  have  an  under- 
**  standing  of  the  main  essential  points,  and  the  miracle  of  the 
*'  new  birth  has  been  wrought  in  them,  and  Christ  is  a  living 
"  personal  Saviour  to  them." 

The  Bishop  of  Calcutta  at  a  Meeting  of  the  Oxford-Mission 
thus  expressed  himself:  "  It  is,  I  think,  universally  true,  that  the 
•'uneducated  embrace  what  they  are  attracted  towards;  and 
"  they  get  to  understand  it  afterwards.  But  when  you  have 
"  an  intellectual  and  educated  class  of  people  to  deal  with, 
*'  the  operation  must  be  reversed.  They  must  to  a  very  great 
"  extent  be  dealt  with  intellectually,  and  get  to  understand 
'*  what  you  put  before  them,  before  they  can  accept  it.  I  have 
**  reason  to  feel,  that  this  is  the  point,  which  must  be  very  con- 
**  stantly  kept  in  mind,  as  regards  our  work  in  India.  You  are 
**  aware,  that  some  of  our  Missions  are  amongst  the  K61  and 
"  the  Santal.  There  you  have  people,  who  are  attracted  by 
"  the  character  of  the  Mission,  by  the  way  that  the  Missionary 
**  deals  with  them,  and  by  all  that  illustrates  Christianity  to 
"  them,  and  they  accept  it  and  welcome  it ;  and  afterwards 
'*  Education  follows,  and  they  are  taught  to  understand  and 
"  know  about  it.  To  a  great  extent  this  is  equally  true  as 
**  regards  our  Missions  in  Tinnevelly.  But  it  is  perfectly  true, 
'*  that  such  a  presentation  of  Christianity  is  quite  incapable  of 
"  having  any  very  strong  influence  on  the  highly  educated 
*'  classes  of  Hindus  or  Mahometans.     The  fact  is,  that  for  the 


(     89     ) 

"  intellectual  and  educated  men,  you  must  adopt  the  other 
"  principle.  There  has  to  be  a  great  deal  of  intercourse  with 
"  them;  there  must  be  much  argument;  there  must  be  a  long 
*'  process,  which  the  mind  must  go  through,  before  they  are 
"  prepared  to  accept  the  truth.  And  this  explains  the  condition 
"  of  things  in  India  in  this  respect.  Our  converts,  wherever 
*'  they  are  in  any  number,  are  converts  from  the  less  intelligent 
**  races.  And  as  regards  the  higher  classes  and  the  more 
"  educated  races,  the  work  is  much  more  slow,  very  much 
*'  more  difficult,  and  the  results  cannot  be  shown  so  imme- 
*'  diately." 

Hear  the  words  of  a  Missionary  in  Eastern  Equatorial  Africa : 
**  Our  Sunday-services  have  been  lately  very  well  attended.  I 
*'  occasionally  get  our  teacher.  (Mugimbwa)  to  follow  me  in 
**  preaching,  in  order  to  make  the  truth  plainer  to  them,  for  it  is 
*'  a  humbling  fact,  that  these  people  will  sit  under  you  for  some 
•'  time,  apparently  taking  it  all  in,  and  yet  not  understanding 
*'  a  word  said.  I  know  many,  who  have  not  the  slightest 
•*  knowledge  of  Swahili,  and  yet  who  listen  to  the  language, 
*'  and  assent  as  though  they  were  coast-men." 

Bishop  Patterson  of  Melanesia  remarked,  "  that  the  second 
'*  stage  of  a  Mission  was  more  difficult  than  the  first.  We  have, 
*'  as  it  were,  drawn  these  poor  heathen  into  the  Christian  net, 
"  and  we  have  now  to  make  them  worthy  of  their  great  name." 
The  greatest  self-control,  gentleness,  self-abnegation,  is  required 
by  a  Missionary  during  the  critical  years  of  religious  training, 
when  the  soul  is  expanding  to  the  divine  light,  and  the  baser 
elements  in  man  are  contending  against  the  new  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  working  on  the  awakened  conscience. 

It  is  a  fallacy,  demonstrated  by  hard  facts,  that  the  human 
race  can  be  so  degraded  as  not  to  be  able  to  understand, 
appreciate,  and  by  divine  grace  accept  the  promises  of  the 
Gospel,  and  undergo  its  transforming  power.  The  personal 
witness,  the  object  -  lesson,  found,  exhibited,  and  wondered 
at,  in  the  self-denying,  consecrated,  life  of  the  Messenger  of 
Salvation,  is  as  necessary  as  the  witness  of  the  inspired  Message  : 
one  is  the  Gospel  in  the  letter,  the  other  is  the  Gospel  in  the 
flesh :  one  is  abstract  Science,  the  other  applied  Science :  it  is 
the  'H  ar^ia  ^o(f)ia  made  manifest  in  the  'O  ar^io<i  avrjp.  Words 
may  fail,  but  the  gracious  example  of  the  "Man  of  God" 
cannot  fail. 

6.  Questions  connected  with    Matrimony  of  Converts. 

In  all  discussions  about  the  marriage  of  Natives  of  any 
country  it  must  be  recollected,  that  at  the  time  of  the  introduction 
of  a  new  Religion  the  mode,  in  which  the  mysterious  union  of 


(     90     ) 

the  two  sexes  is  dealt  with,  is  the  highest  test  of  the  moral 
evolution :  the  laxer  the  marriage-tie,  the  lower  the  form  of 
Religion  developed. 

I  will  quote  an  abstract  from  the  Report  of  the  Church- 
Missionary-Society,  1 89 1,  regarding  a  congregation  in  the  Delta 
of  the  River  Niger,  W.  Africa :  *'  The  moral  and  spiritual  tone 
**  in  the  church  is  far  from  satisfactory.  The  class  and  minute- 
*'  books  in  the  station  declare  and  show  this  lamentable  fact. 
•*  Many  of  the  young  men  have  become  Polygamists.  Many 
**  have  put  out  their  first  wives,  and  taken  others  in  their  stead  ; 
*'  and  this  changing  of  wives  is  due  not  to  the  wives' 
**  unfaithfulness,  but  to  the  inconstancy  of  affection  on  the  part 
**  of  the  husbands.  The  men  foolishly  allege  as  a  reason,  that 
**  they  never  married  their  wives  in  the  Church.  The  sin  of 
*•  impurity  is,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  common." 

And  the  following  in  the  Panjab,  N.  India,  from  Dr. 
Weitbrecht's  Annual  Letter:  **I  believe  we  may  say,  that  the 
*'  congregations  are  gradually  making  progress  in  Christian 
**  knowledge.  That  the  process  is  gradual  cannot  surprise  us, 
"  when  we  consider  the  religious  and  moral  state  of  the  low 
"  Castes  (and  not  the  low  Castes  only)  in  this  country.  In  one 
"  of  our  Christian  villages  there  was  a  man,  professing  to  be  an 
**  inquirer,  who  migrated  for  a  time  to  another  village  in  search 
"  of  work,  and  there  made  friends  with  a  sweeper  of  the  place. 
*'  One  of  this  man's  female  relatives  lost  her  husband,  and  the 
**  immigrant  being  single,  his  friend  pressed  him  to  marry  the 
"  widow ;  but  the  stranger  steadily  refused,  much  to  the 
**  annoyance  of  his  host.  At  last  the  host  said,  *  You  are  very 
*•  obstinate  ;  but  as  you  won't  be  persuaded,  what  do  you  say  to 
*'  taking  my  wife  ?  I  am  ready  to  make  her  and  her  family  over 
**  to  you,  only  I  want  to  keep  one  of  my  girls,  and  then  I'll 
*'  marry  the  widow.'  The  exchange  was  duly  made,  and  in 
"  course  of  time  our  villager  returned  to  his  home  provided  with 
"  a  wife  and  young  family.  On  being  asked  how  he  had  come 
**  by  them,  he  told  his  story,  and  was  severely  blamed  by  the 
'*  community  for  being  married  without  the  help  of  a  padri." 

Dr.  Weitbrecht  in  the  same  Report  states  another  case, 
showing  the  extreme  difficulty  of  the  problem  before  us : 
"  In  this  same  village  a  quiet,  respectable  man  had  been  living 
**  with  his  married  brother.  The  brother  died,  and,  according 
*'  to  custom,  the  man  *  spread  his  skirt'  over  the  widow,  or  *  cast 
**  his  blanket  over  her,'  in  a  case  of  this  kind  no  regular  marriage 
**  ceremony  being  necessary.  I  found  out  casually,  that  they 
"  were  living  together  as  man  and  wife,  and  represented,  that 
*•  this  was  contrary  to  Christian  law,  adding  that,  if  the  man 
**  would  leave  his  sister-in-law,  the  Church  would  be  responsible 
*'  for  her  maintenance,  till  she  could  be  married  again.     This, 


(     91      ) 

"  however,  he  refused  to  do,  and  for  the  present  he  stands 
"  excluded.  The  congregation  has  upheld  the  decision  of  the 
"  pastor,  after  some  discussion ;  but  the  difficulty  in  such  a 
"  case  is,  that  the  former  moral  code  of  the  community  actually 
**  demanded  this  kind  of  marriage  as  an  act  of  duty,  analogous 
"  to  the  Levirate  marriage  of  the  Mosaic  law,  though  not 
'*  identical  with  it,  because  here  the  question  of  raising  up  seed 
*'  unto  his  brother  does  not  come  into  consideration." 

The  table  of  affinity  is  another  difficulty:  it  is  of  no  use 
declaring,  that  the  marriage  of  a  Native  to  his  wife's  sister  is 
illegal,  when  it  is  notorious,  that  in  British  India  it  is  legal  to 
European  British  subjects.  The  problem  of  Divorce,  and  Legal 
Separation,  will  be  exceedingly  difficult.  An  attempt  has  been 
made  to  substitute  in  Christian  marriage  a  necklace  for  the 
ring,  but  it  should  be  resisted,  and  the  Society  for  Promoting 
Christian  Knowledge  has  lately  refused  to  sanction  translations 
of  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  where  that  substitution  has 
been  made. 

But  the  real  difficulty  attends  the  conversion,  when  the  neo- 
Christian  has  to  give  up  his  wife  for  his  Faith.  Till  within  a 
few  years  ago  it  was  the  practice  of  Jewish  converts  in  London 
on  being  baptized  to  divorce  their  Jewish  wives,  and  take  a  new 
Christian  wife :  it  came  to  my  knowledge  in  the  Committee  of 
London-Jews-Society,  and  the  practice  was  forbidden.  As 
regards  13ritish  India,  I  subjoin  the  remarks  of  the  Bishop  of 
Lahore  in  1892  : 

"  Dealing  with  the  question  of  the  remarriage  of  converts, 
"  the  Bishop  said  that  they  knew,  that  Conversion  often  meant 
"  for  the  newly  baptized  the  loss  of  home,  and  of  a  wife's 
'*  society.  The  most  distressing  cases  were  those  of  converts 
"  from  Mahometanism.  According  to  the  law  recognised  in 
"  India,  the  baptism  of  either  Mahometan  consort  ipso  facto 
"  dissolved  the  previously  existing  marriage.  If  the  parties 
*'  continued  to  live  together  as  husband  and  wife  without  any 
"  break  whatever,  their  status  before  the  law  was  at  least 
"  doubtful.  Should  the  question  be  raised  as  to  the  legitimacy 
"  of  children  born  after  the  husband  or  wife  had  been  baptized, 
"  it  was  at  present  an  open  question  what  the  Courts  would  rule. 
"  The  marriage  had  been  dissolved,  and  no  new  marriage  con- 
"  tracted.  Yet  the  bond  fides  of  the  parties  was  unquestionable, 
"  and,  as  in  the  supposed  case,  only  one  of  them  had  become 
"  Christian,  no  marriage  with  the  benediction,  which  the  Church 
*'  pronounced  upon  Christian  marriage,  was  possible.  Moreover, 
*'  they  had  the  ruling  of  the  chief  Court  in  the  Punjab,  that  the 
*'  children  of  a  Mahometan  convert  were  dealt  with  under 
"  Mahometan  law,  and  that  consequently  the  father  was 
"  deprived  of  the  custody  of  children  of  both  sexes  of  tender 


(     92     ) 

**  age,  and  of  that  of  his  daughters  until  they  were  marriageable. 
"  So  that  the  convert  from  Islam,  through  the  simple  profession 
**  of  Christianity  under  a  Christian  Government,  forfeited  all  his 
"  rights  as  husband,  and  as  father  too.  Was  there  not  there  some 
"  claim  to  relief  by  legislation  ?  In  the  case  of  the  Hindu 
"  provision  had  been  made  in  the  Native  Converts-Divorce-Act 
**  for  the  recognition  of  the  continuance  of  the  marriage-tie, 
**  until  certain  prescribed  steps  had  been  taken  to  dissolve  it. 
*'  Ought  not  the  Mahometan  to  be  protected  in  the  same  way .?" 

It  will  be  remarked  that  the  Mahometan,  who  abandons 
Islam,  at  once  loses  his  wife :  the  contract  is  dissolved.  In  the 
case  of  the  Hindu  the  marriage-tie  is  indissoluble.  In  the  first 
Mission-Congress  at  Lahore,  1862,  I  protested  against  any 
facility  being  given  to  the  convert  to  marry  again,  and  when 
the  Native  Converts-Divorce-Act  was  brought  before  the  Legis- 
lative Council  of  India  in  1864,  I  again,  as  a  member  of  that 
Council,  opposed  it,  but  it  was  carried,  and  is  now  the  law. 
The  convert  has  to  cite  the  wife  to  come  and  live  with  him :  if 
she  does  not  do  so  within  a  certain  time,  he  may  marry  again. 
This  seems  a  bad  beginning  of  a  new  life  :  pari  passu  a  man 
might  get  rid  of  a  lunatic  wife,  or  a  bedridden  wife,  or  any 
other  wife,  who  from  incompatability  of  temper  refused  to  live 
with  her  husband. 

All  these  are  difficulties,  through  which  the  nascent  Churches 
all  over  the  heathen-world  will  have  to  steer :  it  is  idle  to 
suppose,  that  they  will  adopt  the  practices  of  Great  Britain. 

7.  Credulousness  of  any  new  Story. 

It  is  clear,  that  in  the  first  Century  of  the  Christian  era  a  strong 
conviction  was  entertained,  that  the  end  of  the  world  was  at 
hand.  It  has  been  the  trade  of  heated  enthusiasts  in  all  countries 
to  promulgate  such  rumours.  Quite  lately  in  South  India  a 
large  number  of  Christian  converts  fell  into  the  delusion,  that 
the  world  was  coming  to  an  end  on  a  certain  day.  When  all 
reasoning  failed,  the  prudent  Missionary  adopted  the  policy  of 
waiting,  and  when  the  day  passed  by,  and  all  things  went  on  as 
before,  the  humbled  enthusiasts  returned  to  their  Pastor,  and 
admitted  their  error. 

Within  the  last  few  years,  in  the  tribe  of  the  Sioux  Redskins, 
west  of  the  River  Mississippi,  a  man  stood  forth,  claiming  to  be 
the  Messiah,  and  credited  with  the  power  of  speaking  to  each 
tribe  in  their  own  language.  There  is  short  shrift  to  a  Prophet 
in  this  generation  :  the  newspaper-reporters  are  too  many  for 
him  :  he  proved  to  be  a  harmless  fanatic,  named  Hopkins  or 
Johnson,  but  the  danger  always  is,  lest  designing  men  should 
make  use  of  such  fanatics  for  their  own  seditious  purposes. 


(     93     ) 

Since  in  Europe  such  notions  still  survive,  that  the  Jews  kidnap, 
and  kill,  a  Christian  child  at  their  Passover,  what  can  be  ex- 
pected among  the  grossly  ignorant  races  of  Asia  and  Africa, 
ready  to  believe  anything  ? 

The  reason  is*  obvious  :  w^hen  a  man  lives  in  the  midst  of  all 
the  comfortable  environments  of  civilized  life,  with  ready  access 
to  the  Doctor  and  the  Policeman  ;  when  the  events  of  life  are 
prosaic,  and  the  great  event  of  Death  always  subject  to  a 
Coroner's  Inquest,  if  the  Medical  authority  cannot  certify  ordi- 
nary causes  ;  when  the  Newspapers  come  in  daily :  under  such 
circumstances  the  mind  becomes  more  reflective,  and  ceases  to 
impute  every  trouble  or  peril,  every  blessing  or  joy,  to  some 
Divinity :  it  is  not,  that  the  pious  man  does  not  recognise  the 
presence  of  God  everywhere,  but  his  environment  deadens  the 
feelings  of  Divine  interference. 

But  at  the  present  epoch  in  Asia  and  Africa,  where  a  man 
dwells  in  a  solitude,  or  a  forest,  or  a  secluded  valley,  cut  oif 
from  contact  with  his  fellows,  liable  to  the  intrusion  of  robbers 
or  wild  beasts,  liable  to  death  without  help,  with  companions 
as  helpless  as  himself;  where  the  elements  are  great  hostile 
realities  to  him,  the  thunder,  and  the  tempest ;  it  is  no  wonder, 
that  such  a  man  is  liable  to  greater  fear  :  he  fears  the  unknown 
Divinity,  is  full  of  credulity,  and  ready  to  believe  any  fancy. 
The  stories  are  magnified  in  repetition  :  secrets  of  Nature,  still 
only  partially  revealed,  supply  a  boundless  variety  of  actual  lies  : 
and  the  wildest  rumours  agitate  the  minds  of  thousands. 

Only  last  August,  1893,  ^  middle-aged  Negro  at  Kingston 
in  Jamaica,  belonging  to  the  labouring  class,  declared,  that  he 
was  a  Prophet  of  God,  and  offered  prayers  every  Wednesday  on 
the  banks  of  the  Hope,  the  waters  of  which  were  endowed  with 
the  power  of  healing  disease.  The  attendance  on  such  evenings 
amounted  to  thousands :  the  Prophet  did  not  ask  for  money, 
and  cures  were  certified  :  the  Bishop  of  the  Church  of  Rome 
stoutly  exposed  the  fallacy  of  his  claim  to  be  a  Prophet,  and  the 
truth  of  his  cures,  as  the  man  was  a  Wesleyan :  had  he  been  of 
the  Church  of  Rome,  his  reception  might  have  been  different, 
as  the  circumstances  very  much  resemble  what  happened  at 
Lourdes  in  S.  France. 

8.  Injurious  Influence  of  Western  Education  on  certain 
Classes  :  Is  Education  a  Necessary  Feature  of 
Evangelization,  or  Civilization.? 

There  is  great  objection  to  any  form  of  Education,  however 
elementary,  or  training  of  boys  and  girls,  which  alters  "per  se" 
their  social  status,  i.e.,  the  state  of  life,  in  which  God  has  placed 
them.     It  is  false  kindness  to  turn  out  of  the  Mission-Schools, 


(     94     ) 

pupils,  who  have  been  elevated  above  the  social  rank  of  their 
own  people,  and  lost  their  means  of  existence :  this  applies  to 
the  labourer's  child  in  Europe,  and  with  double  force  in  Asia 
and  Africa.  What  is  to  become  of  the  nicely  educated  girls  in 
certain  orphanages,  who  have  become  young  gentlewomen  with 
a  future  surrounded  with  perils  and  disappointments  ?  Soberer 
views  would  restrict  the  degree  of  culture  to  what  is  absolutely 
required:  there  must  be  poor  and  humble  Christians  in  all 
flocks. 

I  quote  from  the  Report  of  the  Church-Missionary-Society, 
1893,  with  regard  to  the  spiritual  state  of  the  Christians  in 
N.  India : 

"  That  they  are  a  rising  community  there  can  be  no  doubt,  and 
**  this  makes  them  eager  to  push  themselves  and  their  children 
**  forward  even  at  the  expense  of  a  Missionary-Society.  Any 
"  post,  which  gives  them  importance,  is  immediately  made  use 
"  of  to  improve  their  position  in  life,  and  raise  their  family  in 
"  the  scale  of  society.  All  these  things  are  signs  of  progress, 
**  but  they  may,  or  may  not,  be  signs  of  life.  The  Native 
**  Christians  are  passing  through  a  crisis,  and  gradually  be- 
"  coming  more  like  ourselves.  Their  habits  are  becoming 
**  more  expensive,  and  their  wants  more  imperative.  All  these 
*'  things  must  tell  upon  the  spiritual  life  of  a  Church  in  one 
**  way  or  another.  There  is  a  greater  demand  for  good  educated 
**  pastors  as  a  consequence,  but  no  more  money  is  forthcoming 
**  in  the  midst  of  their  own  increasing  wants  to  meet  the 
**  demand.  The  pastors  are  many  of  them  overworked ;  there 
**  are  not  many  of  them  men  of  ability,  and  work  becomes  a 
**  routine  to  them.  There  are  no  clerical  meetings,  or  con- 
"  ferences,  to  stir  up  their  spiritual  life,  and  the  probability  is, 
"  they  have  little  to  encourage  them,  and  very  much  to  depress 
**  them,  in  their  spiritual  life,  surrounded  as  they  are  on  all  sides 
**  with  heathenism.  We  want  conferences  for  our  pastors  and 
**  Native  Christians,  and  a  brotherly  hand  to  lead  them  on  in 
**  the  midst  of  discouragements." 

This  opens  out  for  the  sake  of  argument  the  question,  whether 
the  converts  should  be  educated  beyond  the  status  of  their 
heathen-neighbours.  If  Education  be  a  necessary  accompani- 
ment of  Christianity,  how  about  the  Millions  of  uneducated 
Christians  in  the  last  eighteen  centuries  ?  Francis  of  Assisi, 
the  founder  of  the  order  of  Franciscan  friars,  not  only  turned 
away  his  thoughts  from  wealth,  and  comfort,  but  from  Education 
also  :  "  for  what  is  learning,"  said  he,  •*  but  a  kind  of  intellectual 
wealth  ? "  Have  we  a  single  word  in  the  Gospels,  or  Epistles, 
to  show  that  any  greater  value  was  placed  on  Education  than 
money  ?  Is  it  right  to  spend  the  money  subscribed  for  the 
Conversion  of  the  heathen  in  the  Education  of  the  children  of 


(     95     ) 

converts,  as  I  remark  is  sometimes  done  ?  Surely  Christian 
communities  should  pay  for  their  own  Pastors  and  School- 
masters. 

Admitting,  as  I  entirely  do,  the  gross  ignorance  of  the  great 
majority  of  the  lower  strata  of  the  population  in  Asia  or  Africa, 
the  question  arises,  "  are  they  in  a  lower  state  than  they  were 
at  any  period  since  the  Christian  era"?  From  the  Church- 
Missionary-Society- Report,  1893,  we  quote  the  opinion  of  an 
Archdeacon : 

**  One  great  difficulty  with  us  here  is  how  to  teach  our  people, 
"  the  vast  majority  of  whom  are  not  able  to  read  a  word,  and 
"  probably  never  will  be  able.  This  inability  arises  from  the 
"  almost  insurmountable  difficulties  of  their  written  language. 
**  It  is  useless  to  try  to  convey  to  English  people  at  home  any 
"  clear  idea  of  this  difficulty,  and  of  the  extent  of  the  ignorance, 
'*  which  prevails  among  this  people  generally,  when  it  takes 
"  twenty  years  or  more  of  hard  and  continuous  study  before  a 
'*  Chinaman  can  master  his  own  written  language,  and  even 
**  then  can  only  partially  understand  it.  It  is  useless  to  expect 
"  poor  villagers,  many  of  whom  embrace  Christianity  long  after 
*'  middle  age,  to  make  very  much  progress,  even  if  they  had 
*'  leisure,  in  the  knowledge  of  either  reading  or  writing  Chinese. 
"  Viva  voce  teaching,  therefore,  is  the  principal  means  here  of 
**  conveying  Christian  instruction,  and  the  Church  must  depend 
"  almost  entirely  upon  the  living  voice  in  conveying  Christian 
"  truth  to  those,  who  have  placed  themselves  under  her  fostering 
**  care." 

And  will  not  viva  voce  teaching  suffice  to  meet  the  require- 
ments of  our  converts  }  is  it  absolutely  necessary,  that  every 
middle-aged  convert,  every  old  woman,  every  all  but  beggar- 
child,  should  be  brought  up  to  the  standard  of  reading  the 
Bible  ?  Is  not  this  importing  our  nineteenth  Century  English 
notions  into  the  houses  of  populations  living  under  very  different 
social  circumstances  ?  Let  an  Educational  Society  of  all  the 
unlettered  races  be  started,  and  do  this  duty.  The  duty  of 
Missionary-Societies  is  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  convert  souls. 

Hear  what  General  Booth  says:  **But  it  is  said:  *  We  must 
**  educate  the  people,  in  order  that  they  may  read  their  Bibles.' 
"  But  alas  !  in  teaching  them  to  read  their  Bibles  you  have 
**  enabled  them  to  read  the  works  of  unbelievers  and  doubters, 
"  which  you  meet  in  so-called  Christian  literature.  I  have  an 
**  impression,  that  for  every  one,  who  through  his  boasted 
"  education  is  to-day  reading  his  Bible,  a  hundred  are  lost  to 
**  all  regard  of  God  and  Religion. 

**  I  believe  thoroughly,  and  say  deliberately,  that  so  far  as  the 
**  Salvation  of  souls  is  concerned,  the  Christian  Church  in  India 
"  has  by  her  Colleges  and  Schools  done  more  harm  than  good. 


(     96     ) 

"  Did  the  Apostles  go  about  teaching  the  people  to  read  and 
**  write,  and  that  by  the  help  of  the  literature  of  the  Pagans 
"  themselves,  as  modern  Christians  do  in  their  Schools  ?  I 
*'  am  tolerably  certain,  that  the  majority  of  those  ancient  Saints 
*'  were  unable  to  read  themselves,  and  moreover  there  were  no 
"  books,  that  were  accessible  to  the  few  who  could. 

**  How,  then,  did  they  succeed  so  wonderfully  in  spreading 
**  the  Salvation  of  God  ?  We  have  certainly  not  a  scrap  of 
**  evidence  to  show,  that  it  was  by  educating  the  people,  or  by 
**  civilizing  them,  while  we  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  it 
*'  was  by  converting  them.  And  what  is  our  business  as  their 
"  successors  }  I  contend  that  it  is  to  follow  in  their  track. 
*•  The  business  of  a  true  Missionary  is  to  seek  to  lead  as 
**  directly  as  he  possibly  can,  these  ignorant,  sinful,  and 
*'  wretched,  people  to  that  Christ,  who  can  reconcile  them  to 
•*  the  Father,  and  regenerate  them  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
**  Ghost.  This  once  done,  they  will  clothe,  and  house,  and 
**  educate  themselves." 

I  fear  that  there  is  much  truth  in  the  remarks  of  General 
Booth.  He  then  remarks  on  Civilization  :  **  What  has  Civiliza- 
**  tion  done  for  the  Heathen-races  apart  from  the  small  handful, 
**  who  have  been  converted  }  I  should  think  that  they  had 
**  better  never  have  known  our  Civilization.  What  has  Civiliza- 
**  tion  done  for  the  native  races  of  America  ?  Improved  them  ? 
**  Yes,  off  the  face  of  the  earth,  or  nearly  so  !  What  has  it  done 
**  for  the  Aborigines  of  Australia  ?  And  is  it  not  on  the  high- 
**  way  to  do  the  same  thing  for  that  magnificent  race,  the  Zulu 
"  of  South  Africa  }  And  if  they  don't  look  out,  it  will  do  the 
**  like  for  the  whole  of  the  native  populations  of  the  Dark 
**  Continent.  What  has  European  Civilization  done  for  the 
"  people  of  India.?  My  own  impression  is,  that  the  Millions  of 
"  India  would  be  very  glad  to  see  our  backs  to-morrow,  even  if 
**  we  took  our  boasted  Civilization  with  us,  and  a  great  many 
"  other  things  into  the  bargain  ;  and  I  am  not  sure,  whether  in 
**  such  case  they  would  be  sufferers  to  the  extent  some  of  us 
"  are  apt  to  imagine." 

Europeans  in  this  nineteenth  Century  place  too  high  a  value 
in  the  scale  of  Salvation  of  Souls  on  Education,  Civilization, 
and  even  Cleanliness  :  they  are  excellent  things  in  themselves, 
but  they  are  only  incidents  in  the  Christian  life,  and  often 
deadly  antagonists  to  the  onward  course. 

9.  Evils  arising  from  Raising  the  Material  Status  of 

Converts. 

With  regard  to  the  status  of  Native  converts,  whose  political 
situation  is  in  no  way  changed  by  their  change  of  religion,  let  me 


(     97     ) 

quote  the  words  of  a  Chinese  Missionary :  **  It  is  true  that  all 
"  British  subjects  resident  in  China  are  required  to  obtain  an 
*'  annual  certificate  of  registry  at  a  Consulate  by  payment  of  a 
**  fee  to  Her  Majesty  of  five  dollars  each,  or  one  dollar  each  for 
'*  artizans  and  labourers.  But  no  Native  Christian  whatever  is 
**  eligible  for  such  registry,  nor  would  the  British  Government 
"  on  any  pretext  whatever  admit  fke  claim  of  a  Native  Christian 
^^  to  be  regarded  as  otherwise  than  a  subject  of  the  Chinese  Empire. 

*'  In  cases  of  actual  Persecution  the  British  Minister  has  on 
**  certain  occasions  interposed,  basing  his  remonstrances,  not 
"  on  the  ex-territoriality  of  the  victims  of  persecution,  but  on 
**  the  Treaty-stipulations  with  regard  to  liberty  of  conscience. 
"  The  same  remark  applies  to  the  American  Representative. 

"  With  regard  to  the  French  and  Russian  Ministers,  I  cannot 
"  speak  with  certainty;  but  my  impression  is,  that,  although  they 
**  are  possibly  more  ready  to  intervene  on  behalf  of  converts 
*'  than  are  the  British  and  American  Ambassadors,  they  make  no 
"  pretence  to  exert  anything  but  a  benevolent  influence  in  favour 
**  of  Toleration,  relying  upon  Treaty-stipulations." 

In  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report,  1891,  I  find  the 
following  ominous  notice  with  regard  to  "Rice-Christians": 
*'  Mr.  Deimler  of  the  Mahometan  Mission  writes,  that  he  had 
**  several  enquirers  on  his  list,  but  it  transpired,  that  they  all 
•*  expected  to  be  supported,  at  least  till  they  should  find  em- 
**  ployment.  Mr.  Deimler  says  there  is  a  class  of  these  men,  who 
*'  go  from  one  Missionary  to  another,  and  allow  themselves  to  be 
"  baptized  by  whoever  offers  the  best  prospect  of  support !  The 
**  attendants  at  the  Urdu  service  were  few  in  number,  those,  who 
**  formerly  attended,  having  left  Bombay." 

Another  form  of  trouble  arises,  when  the  convert  expects,  that 
he  is  to  be  supported  by  the  Missionary  in  his  criminal,  or  civil, 
contests  with  his  neighbours.  A  Missionary's  wife  once  wrote 
to  me  to  beg  to  have  the  wife  of  her  Christian  servant  sent  back 
to  her,  who  had  been  carried  away  by  a  non-Christian :  I 
inquired,  and  found  that  the  woman  in  question  was  the  wife 
of  the  person,  who  had  carried  her  off.  I  gather,  that  there  is 
a  movement  in  some  quarters  in  favour  of  providing  for  Native 
Christians  :  I  implore  those,  who  advocate  those  views,  to  hold 
back,  if  they  care  for  bond  fide  Christianity  in  any  land. 

I  give  from  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report,  1891,  an 
extract :  Mr.  Perkins  was  holding  a  high  civil  appointment 
before  he  resigned  the  Service,  and  became  a  Missionary :  he 
has  thus  seen  both  sides  of  the  shield,  and  his  opinion  is 
valuable :  "  During  Mr.  Perkins'  absence  some  of  the  Christians 
"  suffered  much  trouble  and  expense  by  being  charged  in  the 
"  Native  Magistrate's  Court  with  certain  offences.  Mr.  Perkins, 
*'  rightly  believing,  that  it  is  no  part  of  a  Missionary's  duty  to 


(     98     ) 

"  undertake  the  defence  of  Native  Christians,  even  against  un- 
**  founded  charges,  took  advantage  of  this  opportunity  to  assert 
**  and  act  upon  his  conviction,  and  declined  to  espouse  the 
**  people's  cause  in  litigation.  To  this  cause  largely  he  attributes 
*'  the  fact,  that  there  were  fewer  baptisms  and  several  apostasies  ; 
•'  the  number  of  baptized  Christians  is  returned  at  200,  less  by 
**  twenty  than  last  year.  Mr.  Perkins  says :  We  must  face  the 
"  fact  that,  as  a  Missionary-brother  of  wide  experience  in  such 
"  work  said  to  me,  *  the  movement  amongst  these  low-Caste  folk 
**  is  a  social  one,  to  which  we  Missionaries  are  trying  to  give  a 
"  spiritual  direction.  I  do  not  think  it  is  a  religious  one  in  the 
**  first  instance,  and  we  must  look  most  narrowly,  lest  the  poor 
**  people  should  practise  on  our  inexperience,  and  deceive  them- 
**  selves  too,  by  seeking  Christianity  for  mere  loaves  and  fishes, 
*'  under  whatever  specious  guise.'  " 

The  subject  presents  itself  from  another  point  of  view  in 
Labrador,  in  the  Dominion  of  Canada.  The  introduction  of  new 
habits,  new  kinds  of  food,  and  clothing,  not  suited  to  the  climate, 
and  habits,  is  dangerous.  Nature  has  adapted  the  food  to  the 
particular  animals:  the  Eskimo,  unnecessarily  fed  on  coffee, 
cannot  work  as  they  did  on  a  diet  of  train-oil. 

We  shall  prove  the  enemies,  and  not  benefactors,  of  the  poor 
non-Christian  races,  if  we  mix  up  with  our  spiritual  teaching 
material  advantages :  **  You  have  made  me  a  Christian,"  said  a 
poor  convert  to  a  Missionary ;  '*  give  me  food  to  support  my 
own  and  my  family's  life :  I  did  very  well  before  I  made  your 
acquaintance ;  give  me  back  my  old  life." 

Among  the  many  sombre,  and  anxious,  features,  which 
surround  the  future  of  the  people  of  U-Ganda  none  is  more 
charged  with  anxiety  than  the  material  welfare  of  this  mercurial 
race.  Even  the  Committee  of  the  Church-Missionary-Society 
in  the  general  blindness  of  their  Arm  of  the  Flesh-policy  seem 
to  realize  this.     I  quote  from  the  Intelligencer  of  May,  1894 : 

**  But  from  a  Missionary-point  of  view,  the  introduction  of 
"  the  political  and  commercial  influence  of  England  into 
"  U-Ganda  is  not  of  unmixed  advantage.  The  converts  will  be 
"  subjected  to  temptation  and  trial  more  severe  in  a  spiritual 
**  sense  than  the  fire  and  sword  of  Persecution.  They  will  need 
"  our  prayers  more  than  ever.  It  is  an  especial  cause  of 
**  thankfulness,  that  there  should  come  just  at  this  time  the 
"  tidings  of  remarkable  spiritual  blessing  upon  the  Christian 
**  leaders  and  people  at  Mengo.  Three  days  of  solemn  meetings 
**  for  consecration  in  December  last  were  a  time  of  very  great 
**  blessing.  The  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  was  realized  by 
"  many  as  never  before." 

The  transcendental  style  of  the  last  lines  show,  how  far 
removed  the  writer  is  from  the  hard  unsympathizing  wheel  of 


(     99     ) 

human  events  of  the  nineteenth  Century.  These  neo-Christians 
have  been  ready  to  shed  the  blood  of  their  tribesmen ;  very  little 
of  the  Gospel-practice  has  reached  them. 

10.  Objections  to  Constructing  Barracks  for  Converts, 
AND  Erecting  Expensive  Churches. 

The  Christian  village  has  its  dangers  :  such  was  the 
commencement  of  Monachism  :  the  thought  was  a  good  and 
pure  one,  isolating  those,  who  wished  to  serve  God,  from  the 
evil  around  them,  and  so  to  preserve  their  integrity:  but  the 
whole  history  of  the  Church  shows,  that  it  was  a  mistake,  and 
has  worked  evil  to  the  converts,  evil  to  the  Foreign  Missions, 
and  evil  to  the  Heathen.  The  isolation  was  so  much  Christian 
power  lost  to  the  work  of  Evangelization  ;  nor  was  the  individual 
benefited  by  being  sheltered  from  the  rude  struggle,  and  tempta- 
tion, and  Persecution :  their  example  was  lost  to  the  Heathen, 
their  leaven  to  the  lump,  and  their  own  Faith  became  less  strong, 
because  not  nerved  to  the  test. 

All  who  have  seen  the  Christian  barracks,  springing  up  round 
the  Mission,  must  admit  this :  let  the  converts  live  amidst  the 
Heathen  and  Mahometans,  among  them,  not  of  them  ;  not 
changed  in  external  habits,  but  changed  internally.  They 
should  not  be  denationalized  by  false  kindness  :  the  living  water 
of  the  Gospel  is  able  to  strengthen  the  fibre,  and  develop  into 
beauty  any  form,  of  civilization  with  which  it  comes  into  contact: 
above  all,  let  the  danger  be  avoided  of  accustoming  races  of 
lower  culture  to  the  luxuries  and  wants  of  a  highly  civilized  life. 

Hear  what  the  Indian  Missionary  Manual  says  on  this  subject: 
"  There  is  a  great  fault  in  collecting  Converts  in  little  houses 
**  round  the  Mission,  a  kind  of  Native  Cantonment :  each  person 
"  there  finds  his  whole  outward,  and  inner,  life  changed.  He  is 
**  removed  from  contact  with  his  countrymen,  and  his  idea  of  an 
*'  honest  life,  and  a  decent  home,  altered  ;  himself  and  his  wife 
"  are  placed,  as  it  were,  in  a  foreign  garden,  in  little  glass  hot- 
"  houses.  A  feeble  dependent  spirit  is  produced  :  the  Missionary 
"  is  of  course  expected  to  find  him  employment,  and  he  is  never 
"  satisfied." 

My  memory  recalls  many  such  little  hot-houses,  and  I  always 
disapproved  of  them  :  even  the  large  Christian  village  has  its 
objections :  it  will  certainly  be  attacked  and  destroyed  in  the 
first  political  trouble  against  the  British  Government.  Our  object 
is  to  Christianize  India,  not  to  make  portions  of  the  population 
British,  or  American,  or  French,  as  unhappily  has  been  the  case 
in  U-Ganda. 

Another  most  dangerous  feature  is  the  erection  of  expensive 
Churches  in  European  style,  or  hospitals,  or  schools :   who  will 


(      100     ) 

be  able  to  repair  them,  or  rebuild  them,  when  in  course  of  time 
they  undergo  decay  ?  What  false  kindness,  what  want  of 
judgment,  what  ostentation,  there  is  in  this  ?  Some  Societies 
are  firm  in  not  contributing  to  such  expenditure.  In  the  early 
days  of  Christianity  in  Europe  the  Church  was  in  the  house  of 
some  Christian  :  gradually  modest  buildings  in  the  Native  style 
grew  up.  Imagine  in  a  village  of  semi-barbarians  a  temple  built 
in  European  style,  with  altar-cloths,  etc.,  forgetting  that  the 
first  thing  to  be  impressed  upon  idolaters  is,  that  God  dwelleth 
not  in  temples  made  with  hands :  if  buildings  must  be  erected, 
let  them  be  arranged  to  combine  all  requirements  of  worship, 
school,  and  hospital,  all  paid  for  by  the  people.  It  should  be  as 
good  as,  but  not  better  than,  the  best  house  in  the  locality,  and 
not  attempt  to  rival  the  Hindu  Temple,  or  Mahometan  Mosque. 
I  was  pained  to  read  in  one  Missionary  Periodical  an  application 
for  a  supply  of  Crucifixes  for  the  use  of  the  members  of  an  African 
Protestant  Native  Church ;  they  are  the  very  last  things,  which 
should  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  African.  On  the  West  of 
Africa  there  used  to  be  flourishing  Missions  of  the  Church  of 
Rome  :  being  erected  on  the  foundation  of  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh 
they  perished,  and  the  converts  relapsed  into  Idolatry,  but  their 
crucifixes  still  remained  as  fetiches  of  the  first  quality. 

I  read  a  remark  of  a  Missionary,  which  showed  his  extreme 
want  of  judgment :  a  Hindu  temple  caught  fire,  and  was  burned 
to  the  ground ;  he  went  to  see  the  ruins,  and  chaffed  the  Priests 
on  the  subject  of  the  impotence  of  the  Deity,  to  whom  the 
temple  was  consecrated,  inasmuch  as  he  could  not  save  his  own 
house  from  destruction.  Was  not  the  Temple  on  Mount 
Moriah  twice  burnt  to  the  ground  ?  are  Christian  Churches  never 
burnt,  or  struck  with  lightning  ? 

II.  Dwelling  too  Strongly  on  the  Sins  of  the  non- 
Christian  World. 

Judging  from  the  exaggerated  statements  in  some  Reports,  the 
religious  world  at  home  often  thinks,  that  the  non-Christian 
world  is  living  in  the  practice  of  shameless  and  abominable 
sins  :  this  is  not  the  case.  I  have  lived  among  the  people  in 
the  villages  of  India,  and  found  rude  and  patriarchal  virtues,  and 
evidence  of  great  nobility  of  character,  and  kindly  disposition, 
dutiful  conduct  of  parents  to  children,  purity  of  home-circles, 
loving  meetings  of  relatives,  neighbourly  friendships,  and  gentle 
manners.  It  is  the  act  of  a  partizan,  not  of  a  faithful 
Chronicler,  to  be  so  severe  on  the  Heathen  and  Mahometan, 
and  overlook  the  sad  failings  of  a  European  population,  and 
the  avowed  vices  of  nominal  Christians.  God  has  not  left 
Himself  without  a  witness,  in  that  He  does  good,  and  gives 


(      101      ) 

them  rain  from  Heaven,  and  fruitful  seasons,  filling  men's  hearts 
with  food  and  gladness.  Missionaries  should  abstain  from 
sweeping  assertions,  and  excessive  statements :  it  is  enough,  that 
they  are  not  Christians,  and  must  be  made  so  by  the  Grace 
of  God. 

Hear  what  Dr.  Benson,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  says:  "  It 
"is  not  true,  that  they  are  ordinarily  wicked,  except  by  contrast. 
"  We  know,  that  there  may  be  wickedness  in  and  among  them, 
"  promoted  even  by  their  ministers.  But  we  know,  it  has  been 
"  so  in  Christianity  too.  We  know,  that  in  the  Christian  Church 
"  itself  there  have  been  veins  and  seams  of  wickedness  which 
"  have  gone  far  to  make  the  society  they  pervaded  unpalatable 
*'  to  earnest  minds.  I  deprecate  very  much  our  setting  to 
**  work,  I  do  not  believe  we  shall  ever  succeed  if  we  set  to  work, 
"  believing  that  the  religion  of  any  nation,  which  God  has 
*'  allowed  to  grow  up  in  it,  and  to  be  its  teacher  up  to  this 
"  point  until  Christianity  is  ready  to  approach  it,  I  do  not 
''  believe  we  should  succeed,  if  we  held,  that  the  religion  itself 
"  ministered  to  pride,  to  lust,  and  cruelty.  It  would  be  as 
''  reasonable,  if  we  were  to  impute  to  the  Gospel  the  sins  of 
"  London.  We  know  what  the  sins  of  Mahometanism  are,  but 
"  do  we  not  know  what  the  sins  of  Europe  and  of  London  are  ? 
"  Do  we  not  know  what  the  sins  are  of  other  places,  where  the 
"  Gospel  is  preached  most  earnestly  and  sedulously  ?  We 
"  mistake,  if  we  do  not  look  at  the  root  of  the  evils  ;  you  must 
"  look  into  the  region  of  human  nature,  and  first  accept  a 
"  religion  as  having  done  what  it  could  for  the  moral  and 
"  spiritual  welfare  of  its  followers ;  having  done  that,  and  in 
"  that  spirit,  you  can  move  forward,  and  offer  yourselves  as 
*'  those,  who  have  a  more  excellent  way  to  present  to  the  Nations, 
"  living  in  the  faith  of  these  old  religions." 

I  read  in  the  Report  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Gospel,  remarks  on  the  painfully  low  standard  of  the  Burmese 
Christians,  which  are  at  once  wise  and  kind,  that  "as  far  as 
"  their  gifts,  and  opportunities,  and  environment  permit,  they 
"  abstain  from  the  grosser  vices,  and  are  perhaps  as  good 
"  Christians  as  the  majority  of  those  so-called  in  England." 
I  recognize  here  the  ring  of  the  true  Missionary:  it  was  not 
angels  that  He  sent  forth  to  convert,  but  poor  weak,  ignorant, 
men  :  "  it  is  the  poor,  the  illiterate,  whom  God  has  chosen, 
because  they  have  chosen  Him."  Let  us  get  rid  of  the 
notion,  that  in  the  sight  of  God  the  high-Caste  Orientals,  or 
the  comfortable  self-satisfied  middle  classes  in  England,  are 
dearer  to  Him,  who  hateth  nothing  that  He  has  made,  than  the 
poor  Pariah  :  he  brings  his  soul  as  an  off'ering  to  God,  and 
the  conventionally  pious  in  the  home-Churches  can  do  no  more. 
Remember  the  Pharisee  and  the  Publican. 


(      102     ) 

Think  of  such  expressions  as  the  following,  issued  by  a 
Society  in  1 890 :  I  should  be  sorry  to  have  written  them : 
"  There  must  be  something  wrong,  when  a  Church  of  God  can 
"  look  out  on  one  thousand  Millions  of  souls  under  the  almost 
"  undisputed  sway  of  Satan,  and  going  down  in  darkness  to  the 
"  grave,  without  definite  sympathy  and  definite  eff'ort  on  their 
'*  behalf." 

I  have  been  Magistrate  in  the  Cities  of  Banaras,  Allahabad, 
Amritsdr  and  Lahor,  as  well  as  a  resident,  and  Magistrate, 
many  years  in  the  city  of  London,  and  can  safely  say  that,  if  the 
sale  of  intoxicating  drinks,  and  the  abundance  of  what  are 
technically  called  disorderly  houses,  are  part  of  the  apparatus  of 
Satan,  London  bears  off"  the  palm  from  any  Indian  city,  or  any 
city  in  the  world. 

A  Missionary  was  at  Lok6ja,  on  the  Niger,  for  two  years,  and 
he  is  reported  to  have  thus  expressed  himself  at  Harley  House, 
June  1892,  as  reported  in  Regions  Beyond:  "What  is  in 
Africa  }  lying,  hypocrisy,  abominable  and  shameless  immorality." 
Has  he  ever  walked  after  dark  the  streets  of  London  near  the 
Haymarket,  or  read  the  reports  of  the  Divorce-Courts  in  the 
Daily  Papers  }  Moreover,  he  had  only  brief  experience  of  one 
corner  of  Africa,  and  knew  no  vernacular  language  ;  why  does 
he  attribute  such  sins  to  the  whole  Continent  of  Africa  }  Is 
Europe,  or  even  Great  Britain,  responsible  for  the  vices  and 
immoralities  of  London  ? 

Not  long  ago  a  young  Indian  from  Calcutta  was  beguiled  into 
a  disorderly  house,  and  robbed :  his  case  in  the  Police-Court 
made  one  ashamed  of  a  Christian  country :  can  we,  who  live  in 
glass  houses,  throw  stones  } 

Hear  what  General  Booth  says  : 

"  Take  any  intelligent  Heathen,  for  instance,  who  comes 
"  from  India  to  this  country,  and  hears  us  talk  about  him,  as 
'*  a  Heathen,  or  an  Idolator,  or  the  like,  which  indicate  that 
**  we  regard  him  as  though  he  were  a  sort  of  respectable 
"  two-legged  animal.  Now,  when  such  an  one  comes  to 
**  travel  about  this  country,  he  must  find  considerable  diffi- 
•*  culty  in  discovering  wherein  the  boasted  superiority  of  the 
**  Christian  over  the  Heathen  lies,  and  wherein  the  Heathen  is 
*'  inferior  to  the  Christian.  If  he  goes  out  late  at  night,  and 
**  walks  our  West-End  streets,  and  sees  the  crowd  of  harlots 
"  processioning  through  them ;  or  if  he  goes  to  the  slums,  and 
"  sees  the  poverty  and  wretchedness,  the  filth,  and  devilry,  and 
*•  riot,  that  runs  wild  there ;  if  he  lingers  round  the  doors  of 
*'  the  gin-palaces,  and  listens  to  the  blasphemies  belched  forth 
**  from  those  hell-houses  ;  if  he  makes  inquiries  about  the 
**  brutal  wife-beating,  and  savage  treatment  of  women  and 
"  children    in  general,  that    is    becoming   quite  an    institution 


(      103     ) 

**  with  us ;  or  if  he  happens  to  see  a  prize-fight,  or  marks  the 
**  growing  sympathy  in  the  public  papers  with  this  kind  of 
**  muscular  Christianity,  he  must  find  it  difficult  to  guess, 
*'  wherein  the  people  of  this  so-called  Christian  land  are  in  any 
**  way  superior  to  the  people  he  has  left  behind  him  in  his  own 
"  country." 

Whatever  may  be  the  weaknesses,  and  want  of  wisdom,  of  the 
Salvation-Army,  at  least  they  know  the  ways  of  the  submerged 
population  of  London. 

The  description  of  the  non-Christian  World,  as  given  by 
Missionaries,  and  as  circulated  in  Reports  of  Missionary- 
Societies,  is  shocking  to  read  :  if  even  the  truth  were  proved 
in  a  Court  of  Justice,  it  would  be  wrong  to  circulate  it :  as  it 
is,  it  is  the  raving  of  the  young  man,  or  young  woman,  from  a 
town  in  Great  Britain,  who  is  ignorant  of  the  sins  of  Christian 
Europe,  and  is  brought  face  to  face  with  manifest  forms  of 
human  vice  in  Oriental  countries,  which  are  all  cloked,  and 
concealed  from  the  public  gaze,  in  Occidental  countries. 

I  have  been  struck  by  the  words  of  the  Bishop  of  Southwell : 

**  At  home  men  sit  dissatisfied  with  Centuries  of  Christianity. 
'*  The  world  is  worldly  still,  the  flesh  is  fleshly,  and  the  devil 
"  devilish.  Crime,  ignorance,  and  misery,  baffle  reform  by  their 
**  insuperable  mass,  and  the  Religion  in  possession  seems  re- 
**  sponsible.  It  takes  a  second  thought  to  ask,  which  Religion 
*'  is  in  possession  and  responsible :  is  it  the  Religion  of 
"  obedience  to  Christ,  or  disobedience  ?  of  unity  in  Christ,  or 
*'  of  division  ?  of  Faith  in  Christ,  or  of  doubt  ?  " 

Besides  of  what  advantage  is  such  abuse  ?  to  take  the  lowest 
view  it  is  unmanly;  to  take  the  highest  it  is  un-Christian.  I 
wonder  for  what  purpose  the  compilers  make  such  quotations : 
I  conclude,  that  there  is  a  stratum  in  the  body  of  their  sup- 
porters, which  expect  this  form  of  abuse,  that  with  Pharisaic 
pride  they  may  say :  We  thank  God,  that  we  of  the  comfortable 
middle  class  of  England  are  not  like  the  Indian,  the  Chinese, 
the  Melanesian,  or  African,  or  "even  as  this  Publican." 

These  Missionary-denouncers  of  the  poor  ignorant  Natives 
of  Asia  and  Africa  forget  that  a  religious  paper  of  London,  not 
long  ago,  informed  its  readers,  that  Religion  and  the  Church 
were  entirely  out  of  possession  of  certain  parts  of  London.  I 
heard  Dr.  Benson,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  say  at  a  public 
Meeting,  that  we  had  two  duties  before  us,  one  to  make 
Christians  out  of  the  Heathen,  and  another  still  more  im- 
portant, to  prevent  nominal  Christians  becoming  Heathen.  I 
do  not  wish  to  palliate,  or  ignore,  the  sins  and  weaknesses  of 
a  non-Christian  people.  I  have  lived  twenty-five  years  of  my 
life  in  their  midst,  ruling  them,  loving  them,  and  loved  by 
them:   their  first,  last,  and  great  fault,  or  misfortune,  is  that 


(      104     ) 

they  are  not  Christians,  and  we  must  try  to  make  them  so  with 
Love,  Pity,  and  Sweet  Reasonableness,  following  the  example  of 
the  first  Christian  Missionary,  Paul. 

Hear  an  indignant  remonstrance  from  the  educated  Negro 
Editor  of  a  Newspaper,  in  the  English  language,  at  Sierra 
Leone,  March  1890  :  "Europe  is  now  tottering  under  the  burden 
"  of  its  own  social  problems  and  complications,  to  which  ours 
"  is  the  mote  as  compared  to  the  beam." 

In  The  Christian  World,  March  i,  1894,  we  find  the  following : 

•'  Manufacturing  Heathens, — An  article,  which  is  really  terrible 
"  in  the  state  of  things  it  discloses,  appears  in  the  number  of 
**  The  Humanitarian,  by  the  Rev.  Arthur  Robins,  M.A.,  entitled, 
**  *  Our  Home-made  Heathen.'  Mr.  Robins  is  familiar  with 
**  English  slums,  and  his  indictment  of  the  Church  and  of  the 
**  social  system  generally,  which  permits  the  existence  of  the 
"  moral  cesspools  he  describes,  is  almost  prophetic  in  its 
**  intensity.  He  says  that  *  in  London  only  there  are  at  the 
"  present  time  50,000  families,  who  have  amongst  them  all  but 
**  one  room  to  each  family.'  The  following  is  a  typical  example 
**  of  one-room  morality:  Within,  when  I  went  that  day,  there 
**  dwelt  a  family  of  eight ;  husband  and  wife  and  six  children, 
"  of  all  ages,  the  eldest  a  girl  of  twenty,  and  they  slept  four  in 
"  a  bed  in  one  cramped,  cupboard-like  room.  The  next  week 
"  this  household  had  increased,  not  quite  legitimately,  to  ten. 
**  The  wife  had  at  her  breast  her  new-born  babe,  whilst  her 
"  eldest  daughter  unabashed  showed  me  her  bastard-boy. 
**  There,  in  a  foul  and  filthy  area,  where  no  one  would  have  put 
"  a  brute-beast  with  a  pedigree,  had  been  a  double  birth,  with 
"  all  the  family  assembled.  There  were  five  in  a  bed  that  day. 
**  I  could  multiply  such  examples,  but  there  is  no  need.  I  asked 
"  myself,  as  I  looked  upon  this  very  representative  human  home 
"  of  Christian  England's  poor,  does  not  the  sty  make  the  pig, 
**  does  not  the  hovel  help  to  make  the  harlot }  How  does  this 
*'  gross  demoralization  work.^*  That  mother,  who  looked  upon 
**  her  child  of  sin  without  a  blush,  has  long  since  relieved  the 
"  congestion  in  that  little  upper  room  by  joining,  outright,  the 
^^  forces  of  the  falle7i.  I  asked  the  superintendent  of  Police  in 
"  a  profoundly  polluting  district  of  a  great  city,  where  the  slums 
**  have  degraded  human  life  down  to  the  deepest  depths  of 
'  **  defilement  and  depravity,  what,  in  his  opinion,  was  the  chief 
**  factor  in  filling  the  public-houses,  and  he  answered,  *  The 
**  dreadful  dens  they  dwell  in.     It  is  the  slum  that  does  it.' 

**  The  English  papers  and  reviews  are  constantly  full  of  illus- 
**  trations  of  the  evils,  which  afflict  the  social  system  of  Europe; 
**  and  no  one  can  read  the  above  without  feeling  the  intense 
"  inconsistency  on  the  part  of  those,  who  leave  behind  them  such 
"  a  state  of  things  to  come  to  a  distant  land  among  an  entirely 


(     105     ) 

*'  different  race,  to  endeavour  to  upset  the  social  and  domestic 
**  customs  of  the  people  without  being  able  to  give  them  any- 
**  thing  half  as  good.  This  kind  of  Crusade  did  very  well  in 
"  the  early  days,  when  the  people  could  not  read,  and  when 
"  Newspapers  were  difficult  to  obtain,  and  they  were  dependent 
"  for  all  their  information,  whether  secular  or  religious,  upon 
"  the  Missionaries,  and  when  there  had  not  been  sufficient  time 
**  to  test  the  results  of  the  foreign  social  system  upon  the 
"  natives.  But  times  have  changed.  When  the  people  read 
"  the  papers,  and  compare  what  is  going  on  in  Europe  with 
"  what  the  Missionaries  tell  them,  the  first  thing  that  occurs 
"to  their  mind  is,  'Physician,  heal  thyself;'  and  they  are 
**  led  to  doubt  the  sincerity  of  their  teachers,  when  they 
"  remember  the  words  of  the  Apostle,  '  If  any  man  provide 
"  not  for  his  own  household,  he  hath  denied  the  Faith,  and 
"  is  worse  than  an  infidel.' 

**  The  Newspapers  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  Liquor-traffic  on 
"  the  other,  both  European  in  origin,  are  raising  and,  frorn  all 
*'  appearance,  will  continue  to  raise,  insuperable  obstacles  in  the 
*'  way  of  the  Christian  Missionary  from  Europe,  as  long  as  he 
"  will  insist  upon  interfering  with  that,  with  which  he  has  no 
•'  authority  to  meddle.  Missionary-Societies  will  be  obliged  to 
"  change  their  Methods  and  their  tactics.  The  plan  of  ignoring 
*'  facts,  and  shutting  their  eyes  to  circumstances  is  a  policy,  that 
"  seems  wise  only  to  the  ostrich." 

12.  Asserting  that  Missionaries  have  Material  Help 
FROM  God. 

Every  good  gift  and  every  perfect  gift  is  from  above,  and  we 
cannot  be  too  thankful  at  the  close  of  each  day  for  travelling 
mercies,  staying  mercies,  sick-bed  mercies,  death-bed  mercies : 
but  are  the  quotations,  which  I  propose  to  make,  mere  **  gush," 
mere  pious  phraseology,  or  does  the  writer  mean  what  he  says, 
and,  if  he  does  mean  it,  is  it  judicious  on  the  part  of  the  Editor 
of  a  serious  Publication  to  put  it  forth  }  will  it  commend  itself 
to  the  devoted  champion  of  Missions  ?  will  it  conciliate  the 
much  larger  army  of  downright  antagonists  7  will  it  tempt  the 
indifferent  class  to  read  a  Missionary-Publication  ? 

I  quote  from  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report  of  1893  : 
"  Occasionally  our  Sundays  have  been  days  of  real  blessing, 
"  very  sweet  to  us,  because  we  have  seen  God's  hand  *  silently 
"  planning'  for  us  about  them.  Feeling  that  we  ought  not  to 
*'  travel  on  Sunday,  Mr.  Horsburgh  offered  to  give  the  skipper 
**  fifty  cash  a  man  for  each  Sunday,  if  he  would  stop.  He  was 
"  not  very  willing,  and,  although  he  assented,  we  did  not  know 
"  whether  he  really  would.     On  the  first  Saturday  he  hinted, 


(      106     ) 

**  that,  if  there  were  a  good  wind,  he  should  go  on.  We  prayed 
**  much  about  it,  and,  when  Sunday  came,  it  was  raining  heavily. 
"  No  Chinaman  cares  to  go  out  in  the  rain,  so  we  rested  *  ac- 
"  cording  to  the  good  hand  of  our  God  upon  us.'  Each  Sabbath 
**  has  been  more  blessed  than  the  last,  and  God  has  arranged, 
"  that  we  should  never  travel  on  His  day.  More  than  once  He 
"  has  used  the  rain  to  keep  us  quiet,  and  to  disperse  crowds." 

I  quote  from  Regions  Beyond^  1892:  "Often  at  our  summer 
gatherings  the  Lord  seemed  to  favour  us  with  specially  pleasant 
weather."  Alas  !  we  all  know  how  at  Missionary-Garden-Meet- 
ings in  England  it  often  rains :  is  it  pretended  that  the  Almighty 
exerted  his  Sovereign  power  over  the  elements  specially  to 
secure  a  fine  day  for  a  North  London  Missionary  gathering  } 

Again,  in  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report  of  1890: 
*'  The  Hospital-Missionary  declined  in  a  station  in  China  to 
"  give  any  money  for  heathen  processions.  The  Natives  re- 
**  turned  to  what  both  they  and  we  feared  would  be  trying 
"  Persecution  and  insult ;  the  surgical  instruments  and  other 
**  valuable  things  were  got  together,  so  as  to  be  easily  preserved 
"  in  event  of  a  disturbance,  and  the  fixed  day  drew  on.  We,  in 
"  Nang  Wa,  were  daily  in  prayer,  and,  when  the  day  came,  we 
**  recognised  in  the  heavy  drenching  rain  the  protecting  care 
"  of  God,  for  through  the  heavy  rain  no  crowd  gathered  and  all 
"  was  quiet.  But,  in  addition,  the  owner  of  the  house  having 
**  heard  there  was  a  likelihood  of  his  property  being  injured, 
"  went  to  the  leaders  of  the  idolatrous  arrangements,  and  said, 
**  *I  know  those  Hospital  people  won't  give  you  any  money,  and 
**  it  is  a  pity  my  house  should  be  injured ;  I  will  pay  their  sub- 
**  scription  if  you  are  willing.'  To  this  they  agreed,  but  our 
"  people  made  it  known  to  everyone,  that  the  owner  of  the 
**  house  had  paid  the  money  of  his  own  will,  and  that  we  would 
**  on  no  account  countenance  Idolatry,  but,  if  there  were  a  road 
"  or  bridge  to  be  mended,  we  would  subscribe  to  that." 

It  appears  also  that  Pentecostal  gifts  of  tongues  are  still  made. 
In  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Reports  of  1891  and  1892  I 
read :  "  Up  to  the  time  I  went  to  Muya  I  always  read  my  ad- 
**  dresses  to  audiences  of  non-Christians,  but  I  had  been  feeling 
*'  more  and  more  strongly,  that  I  ought  to  speak  to  the  people, 
**  and  not  read  to  them,  and  here  God  gave  me  grace  to  open 
**  my  mouth  and  speak  with  freedom,  and  every  night  for  a  week 
*'  I  was  preaching  (not  reading)  in  diff"erent  places.  I  have  not 
**  read  a  sermon  or  an  address  since  that  time.  It  is  wonderful, 
"  how  the  Lord  helps  with  a  language,  when  we  commit  our- 
•'  selves  to  Him  to  be  His  mouthpieces.  I  cannot  speak  fluently 
**  at  all  on  any  other  subjects,  but  when  preaching  the  power 
**  comes."  We  have  yet  to  learn,  whether  this  Missionary  was 
understood  by  his  audience,  and  many  good  Missionaries  have 


(     107     ) 

failed  after  years  of  test   to  gain  the   power  of  making  oral 
addresses. 

The  wonderful  way,  in  which  money  is  supplied  in  some 
Missions,  surprises  me.     In  Chinas  Millions^  1892,  I  read: 

'*  While  this  has  been  the  case,  there  has  not  been  a 
"  corresponding  increase  of  income,  but  the  reverse  ;  moreover, 
**  exchange  in  China  has  been  seriously  against  us,  requiring  a 
"■  guinea  or  more  to  purchase  as  much  silver  as  a  pound  would 
"  formerly  have  bought.  It  has,  however,  been  wonderful  and 
"  beautiful  to  see,  how  God  has  helped  us  ;  timely  gifts  from 
*'  members  of  our  own  Mission,  some  of  them  meaning  much 
**  self-denial ;  and  contributions  from  foreign  residents  and 
*'  visitors  have  not  infrequently  in  the  day  answered  the  prayers 
"  for  the  day,  so  that  every  need  has  been  met.  On  one 
"  occasion  a  party  preparing  to  go  to  a  distant  station  had  their 
"  packing  completed,  and  the  hour  of  departure  was  drawing 
'*  nigh  before  the  funds  came  to  hand  to  take  them  forward. 
"  Repeatedly  we  have  been  without  any  funds  for  the  general 
'*  requirements  of  the  whole  Mission,  though  for  particular 
"  objects  there  have  been  balances  of  unexpected  donations, 
*'  which,  of  course,  could  not  be  touched.  Our  hearts  have  been 
**  kept  in  peace,  knowing  that  God's  promises  cannot  fail ;  and 
*'  to  the  question  'Lacked  ye  anything?'  we  can  only  reply,  as 
"  did  the  Disciples  of  old,  '  Nothing,  Lord.'  " 

Faith-healing  comes  into  the  same  category.  A  few  years  ago 
a  party  of  American  Missionaries  landed  at  Sierra  Leone  :  two 
of  their  main  principles  were  Faith-healing,  and  Pentecostal  gifts 
of  tongues ;  no  medicines  were  to  be  taken,  no  grammars  or 
dictionaries  made  use  of;  the  party  was  attacked  by  malignant 
fever ;  two  died,  refusing  quinine.  As  the  disease  was  highly 
infectious,  the  Garrison-Surgeon  called  on  the  survivors,  and 
found  their  minds  fixed  not  to  take  medicine,  as  they  were  ready 
to  obey  the  divine  behest.  The  astute  Surgeon  pointed  out, 
that  there  were  many  in  Sierra  Leone,  who  were  not  ready,  and 
who  would  catch  the  infection,  unless  they  allowed  themselves 
to  be  healed.  So  they  submitted,  and  were  healed.  Here  Faith- 
healing  signally  broke  down.  On  the  Niger  a  little  Heathen 
boy  met  with  an  accident  of  a  serious  character:  the  Medical- 
Missionary  applied  his  surgical  skill  to  the  case,  and  then  he 
and  his  brethen  prayed  over  the  child,  and  ''claimed  him  of 
God."  The  boy  recovered,  and  ran  back  to  his  dirt  and 
heathendom  ;   and  this  was  reported  home  as  "  Faith-healing." 

Let  such  enthusiasts  read  the  story  of  the  Conversion  of 
Europe.  Trials  of  strength  in  those  days  took  place  between  the 
Heathen  and  Christian  God  about  Rain,  or  Healing,  or  casting 
lots,  or  success  in  battle,  or  rescue  from  shipwreck.  The 
mendacious  Chronicler  always  reports  in  favour  of  the  Church. 


(      108     ) 

Such  objectionable  features  should  be  sternly  rejected  by  the 
modern  Missionary.  He  should  be  cautious  in  his  language, 
be  still,  and  know,  that  there  is  a  God.  The  Romish  Mission 
to  this  day  in  E.  Africa  records  visions,  dreams,  the  active  co- 
operation of  dead  Missionaries,  who  prepare  the  field  in  a 
mysterious  way  for  their  surviving  brethren :  all  this  is  to  be 
deplored  at  any  epoch,  but  should  be  laughed  out  of  Court  in 
the  Nineteenth  Century. 

The  great  Missionary  Anskar,  who  died  in  865  a.d.,  is 
reported  to  have  said :  "  One  Miracle  I  would  ask  the  Lord  to 
grant  me,  and  that  is,  that  by  His  Grace  He  would  make  me  a 
good  man."     O  !   that  all  were  like  Anskar  ! 

I  do  not  wish  to  be  hard  on  the  Monastic  Annals  of  the 
ninth  Century  any  more  than  on  the  Missionary-Reports 
of  the  nineteenth  :  they  both  have  the  monopoly  of  Missionary- 
literature  of  their  time.  Secular  organs  pass  by  the  subject  in 
disdain.  The  Missionaries  allow  their  feelings,  and  their 
profession,  to  unduly  influence  them :  devoid  of  critical  spirit, 
the  compiler  of  the  Report  writes  to  a  still  more  uncritical  class 
of  readers  :  a  Secretary  writes  about  his  Missionaries  very  much, 
as  a  Mother  would  about  her  Sons,  **  Bona  verba  quaeso." 
Stories  are  told  in  past  times  in  Europe,  of  famines  and 
pestilences.  Heathen  Deities  are  invoked  in  vain  ;  at  length 
the  Church  of  Christ  intervenes ;  the  grievance  ceases.  Would 
any  modern  Missionary  dare  to  make  such  assertions  now  ?  and 
yet  it  is  the  same  God,  who  rules  the  world  with  unceasing 
and  unvarying  order :  Lies  do  not  live  in  a  literary  age. 

I  wonder,  that  it  never  occurs  to  Missionaries  writing  their 
Annual  letter,  and  the  compiler  of  the  Annual  Report  of  the 
Society,  that  afflictions,  and  disappointments,  and  calamities, 
such  as  the  murder  of  good  Bishop  Hannington,  and  the  death 
of  good  Bishop  Parker,  are  blessings  in  disguise  sent  by  the 
Fatherly  hand,  who  does  all  things  well.  Why  are  there  such 
triumphant  Paeans  at  the  success  of  some  little  undertaking,  or 
the  recovery  from  some  sickness  ?  There  have  been  deaths  of 
agents  to  the  Societies,  which  have  been  very  much  to  the 
advancement  of  the  cause  of  Missions:  there  have  been  pro- 
longation of  long,  and  no  longer  useful,  lives,  which  have  been 
prejudicial.  Short-sighted  Committees  have  striven,  and  striven' 
in  vain,  to  keep  doors  open,  which  He  in  His  wisdom  intends 
to  be  closed,  and  on  the  other  hand,  doors  have  been  thrown 
open  beyond  all  human  dreams  of  possibility.  Individual 
Missionaries,  and  Compilers  of  Reports,  should  not  lay 
clairti  to  such  familiarity  with  the  hidden  counsels  of  the 
Almighty.  In  no  other  department  of  Human  affairs  is  this 
pretence  put  forward  :  it  is  a  most  striking  feature  of  Missionary- 
literature  :   it  may  impose  on  the  emotional  and  uneducated :  it 


(      109     ) 

is  repellant  to  the  conscience  of  those,  who  leave  all  their  affairs 
with  Him,  and  accept  with  thankfulness  what  He  in  His  wisdom, 
Life  or  Death,  Success  or  Failure,  pleases  to  send. 

It  is  well  written  that 

"  Material  miracles  may  have  ceased,  but  who  can  say  that 
**  spiritual  miracles  have  ceased  ?  May  not  God's  gracious  oT^fiha 
**  be  traced  in 

**  (i)  the  transformation  of  personal  characters  of  individuals 

"  and  communities  ?    was  not  the  Conversion  of  Paul  a 

**  miracle,  and  is  not  that  miracle  repeated  from  generation 

"  to  generation  ? 
**  (2)  the  voluntary  consecration  of  individuals  to  the  work  ? 

**  They  did   not   choose   the  work ;    God    chose   them, 

"  sometimes  against  their  will. 
*•  (3)  the   reflex  blessings   of  the   Missions  on  the  Church 

**  which   supports   them  ?     Is   not    this   evident  to   the 

"  eye  ?  " 

13.  Treating  with   Contempt  the   Parental    Rights   of 
non-Christians. 

Hear  the  words  of  an  Indian  Statesman,  a  true  friend  of 
Missions,  from  whose  published  works  I  extract  the  following : 
let  Missionaries  lay  it  to  their  hearts:  "The  natural  right  of 
"  a  Hindu  parent  to  direct  the  religious  education  of  his  child, 
"  while  under  years  of  discretion,  is  as  sacred,  as  that  of  the 
"  Christian  Parent.  It  cannot  be  interfered  with  by  the  State 
**  without  a  breach  of  the  first  principles  of  Christian  Liberty,  to 
**  which  we  ourselves  should  appeal,  were  we  the  subject  party. 
"  The  spirit  of  Christian  Equity  enjoins  us  to  do  unto  others  as 
'*  we  would,  that  we  should  be  done  by." 

A  Bombay-Missionary,  1892,  writes  as  follows  :  *'  One  enquirer 
*'  has  an  old  father,  who  is  under  medical  treatment,  and  whom 
**  he  is  supporting :  there  is  nothing  whatever  keeping  him  from 
'*  confessing  Christ  in  baptism  but  this,  that  he  believes  his 
*'  father's  heart  would  break,  if  he  did  so.  No  one  without 
**  Indian  experience  can  understand  the  depth  of  a  father's 
**  affection  for  a  son,  or  the  unspeakable  disgrace  he  would 
**  experience,  if  that  son  were  baptized.  Let  him  die,  but  let 
"  him  not  bring  this  curse  upon  his  family !  Another  inquirer 
**  of  long  standing  is  kept  back  because  a  wife,  to  whom  he  is 
**  devoted,  will  not  hear  the  suggestion  even  of  learning  about 
"  Christianity:  if  he  were  baptized,  she  and  her  children  would 
**  go  at  once  to  her  father's  home.  These  are  typical  cases. 
"  Only  Divine  Grace  can  so  order,  that  such  men  shall  be  enabled, 
"  either  by  a  modification  of  their  circumstances,  or  by  standing 
"■  alone,  to  testify  to  the  Lord  in  whom  they  really  believe." 


(      110     ) 

The  agohy  of  the  parent,  when  he  contemplates  the  idea  of  his 
son  or  daughter  leaving  his  ancestral  Faith,  which  from  his 
point  of  view  is  the  only  Path  of  Salvation,  cannot  be  described, 
or  realized,  except  by  those  unhappy  Christians,  whose  children 
have  lapsed  into  Mormonism,  Theosophism,  or  some  form  of 
unbelief,  which  denies  the  Divinity  of  our  Lord.  The  young 
Missionary,  who  has  no  children,  or  only  children  in  their 
childhood,  should  write  gently  on  such  subjects :  Can  we  wish 
to  destroy  all  those  sentiments  of  Humanity,  which  underlie  all 
Religion  ?  Among  the  heap  of  heavy  sins,  piled  up  by  Paul  in 
the  first  Chapter  of  the  Epistles  to  the  Romans,  is  "disobedience 
to  Parents."  The  dilemma  is  awful :  in  the  course  of  nature 
the  son  may  expect  to  outlive  the  father :  at  any  rate  he  must 
tarry  the  Lord's  leisure.  I  do  not  forget  the  Lord's  words, 
Matt.  X,  37,  but  the  application  of  them  must  be  gentle,  and 
the  allusion  made  to  the  struggle  by  outsiders  must  be  merciful. 
The  centurion  remarked,  that  with  a  great  price  he  had 
purchased  his  Roman  citizenship  ;  Paul  replied  that  he  was 
free-born.  We  should  all  think  of  this,  and  feel  sympathy 
for  the  sufferers,  and  not  hold  the  old  parents,  or  female 
relations,  to  contempt,  as  the  manner  of  some  Missionaries  is. 

In  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report  of  1890  I  read  as 
follows :  I  regret,  that  a  Missionary  should  have  made  such 
a  charge  against  a  brother,  sent  it  home  to  England,  and  that 
the  Editor  should  have  published  it :  if  true,  was  it  the  part  of 
a  Christian  to  publish  it  far  and  wide  ?  A  Christian  Father,  in 
his  agony  at  his  son  or  daughter  becoming  Mahometan,  might 
have  used  such  hasty  words. 

"  Some  time  ago  there  was  a  young  Mahometan,  the  son  of  a 
**  great  Mahometan  saint  and  doctor,  who  had  great  anxiety 
"  of  soul  because  of  sin.  He  read  the  Koran  through  and 
*'  through  without  finding  light,  when  he  found  in  it  an  ex- 
•*  pression  referring  to  the  Old  Testament  and  the  New  Testa- 
**  ment.  The  thought  came  into  this  young  man's  heart,  '  If  I 
**  can  only  get  possession  of  a  Bible,  I  might  get  what  I  need.' 
**  Two  Missionaries  happened  to  be  in  the  district,  and  he  got 
**  what  he  wanted.  He  began  with  the  Gospel  of  St.  John,  and 
**  by  the  time  he  got  to  the  third  chapter  he  was  a  free  man,  and 
**  desirous  of  throwing  off  Mahometanism.  When  his  father 
**  heard  of  it,  he  offered  a  reward  of  500  rupees,  to  anyone, 
'*  who  would  kill  his  son,  and  200  to  anyone,  who  would  bring 
*'  him  the  good  news.  For  two  years  I  had  to  watch  over 
"  that  young  man,  and  then  his  father  found  him,  and  with 
*'  much  difficulty  we  managed  to  keep  him  safe.  At  last  the 
**  old  man  went  back  with  a  New  Testament.  A  year  afterwards 
**  he  came  again,  and  said,  that  he  had  brought  together  other 
**  mullahs,  and  read  it  to  them.     He  also  said,  '  We  have  noticed 


(  111  ) 

**  that  this  is  the  New  Testament ;  that  shows  me,  that  there 
"  must  be  an  Old  Testament,  and  they  have  sent  me  to  get 
'*  the  Old  Testament.'  I  had  the  pleasure  of  giving  him  one, 
"  and  just  before  I  left  he  came  with  his  soii  and  said,  'The 
*'  God  of  my  son,  whom  I  wished  to  murder,  is  now  my  God ; 
"  baptize  me,  too,  into  the  Faith  of  Christ.'  " 

14.  Necessity  of  Union  of  Denominations  into  one 
National  Church. 

The  Quarterly  Review  of  January,  1894,  remarks  as  follows: 
**  At  the  present  rate  of  progress  in  India  it  is  calculated,  that 
"  the  Protestant  Faith  will  absorb  the  entire  population  by  the 
**  middle  of  the  twenty-first  Century.  Such  a  thought  suggests 
"  deep  searchings  of  heart  about  the  form  of  Church-Order, 
"  which  is  to  prevail  there,  and  in  the  other  lands,  which  our 
**  divided,  and  sometimes  competing,  Missions  are  conquering. 
"  No  reasonable  Churchman  would  wish  to  see  a  mere  slavish 
"  reproduction  of  Anglican  ceremonial  or  standards ;  but  are 
"  the  miserable  divisions  of  Protestantism  to  split  up  Christianity 
"  the  wide  world  over,  as  they  are  weakening  it  at  home  ?  " 

Whoever  uttered  the  above  prophecy  about  the  287  Millions 
of  British  India  becoming  Christian  within  a  century  and  a  half, 
cannot  have  studied  the  Census-Returns  of  that  country  of  1891, 
where  it  is  clearly  shown,  that  the  actual  annual  increase  of 
population  by  the  ordinary  process  of  generation  exceeds  three 
Millions  :  on  the  other  hand  the  work  of  Conversion  of  the 
Syrian,  Romish,  and  Protestant  Churches  during  eight  centuries 
has  barely  reached  to  two  Million  and  three-quarters.  A  more 
sober  writer  states  the  acknowledged  fact,  that  there  are  more 
heathen  on  the  earth  to-day  unreached  by  the  Gospel  than 
there  were  100  years  ago,  notwithstanding  the  glorious  work, 
done  in  the  intervening  period,  speaks  volumes  for  the  need  of 
making  the  present  Missionary-Income  accomplish  much  more 
than  it  does. 

The  sound  policy  seems  to  be,  that  a  Missionary-band  should 
do  its  best  to  convert  the  non-Christians  of  a  Region,  organize  a 
Church,  appoint  officers,  as  Paul  did,  and  then  pass  on  to  Regions 
Beyond  :  that  would  not  suit  the  dominant  spirit  of  modern 
Committees:  they  do  not  trust  the  people,  and  wish  to  keep 
the  neo-Christians  under  their  control,  and,  as  each  Committee 
has  a  different  ideal  of  Church-Government,  the  prospect  of  the 
future  is  gloomy.  The  question  of  the  union  of  such  Native 
Churches,  belonging  to  different  denominations,  is  however 
gaining  ground  ;  and  it  will  be  a  great  blessing  to  them  to  find 
some  simple  Organization,  based  on  the  Asiatic  usages  of  the 
New  Testament,  not  on   the  overbearing,  unsympathetic,  and 


(      112     ) 

unintelligible,  American  and  Anglican  model.  Progress  has 
been  made  in  Japan  so  far  as  to  unite  in  one  Church  all  the 
multiform  Presbyterian  bodies  ;  it  is  to  be  hoped,  that  the 
Episcopal  Churches  of  Great  Britain  and  America  will  coalesce. 
The  different  forms  of  Methodism  have  found  a  common 
shibboleth  :  so  far  so  well,  but  something  more  is  required  for 
great  Regions,  occupied  by  populations  differing  in  race  and 
language.  Bishop  Evington  thus  expressed  himself  in  1894: 
**  In  the  second  division  of  his  speech  he  referred,  in  illustration 
**  of  the  difficulties,  to  the  spirit  of  patriotism,  which  was 
**  growing  in  Japan.  It  was  a  perfectly  right  spirit,  that  they 
"  should  desire  to  be  masters  of  their  own  country,  and  that 
"  they  should  not  like  to  have  a  foreigner  over  them,  but  this 
"  spirit  brought  with  it  its  difKiculties  to  the  Church.  What 
'*  happened  at  the  recent  Synod  was  an  illustration  of  it.  The 
•*  native  Christians  said,  '  We  are  not  going  to  have  all  the 
"  details  of  your  English  Church-Service  forced  upon  us';  and 
"  one  felt,  that  they  were  entitled  to  some  freedom  in  these 
"  matters.  Another  difficulty  the  Church  had  to  face  was  due 
**  to  the  fact,  that  they  went  into  the  Field  in  force  rather  late, 
**  and  even  then  did  not  establish  schools,  with  the  result  that 
"  they  could  not  now  get  Catechists  and  fellow-workers  in  the 
"  proportion  in  which  they  were  needed.  But  if  there  were 
"  difficulties,  there  were  also  many  things  to  encourage  them." 

I  heard  Bishop  Bickersteth  of  Japan  express  himself  at  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  that  there  were  only 
necessary  four  points  of  uniformity  of  the  Japanese  Church 
with  the  Anglican  :  the  two  Sacraments,  the  Inspiration  of  the 
Scriptures,  Episcopacy,  and  the  Nicene  Creed. 

Bishop  Bickersteth  thus  expressed  himself  at  a  Church  Con- 
gress :  "  And  further,  in  Japan,  above  all  lands,  if  we  can  only 
"  advance  towards  it  slowly,  we  are  bound  from  the  beginning 
'*  to  have  an  eye  to  the  day,  which  may  or  may  not  be  distant, 
"  when  the  Church  shall  be  wholly  independent  of  ourselves. 
"  The  few  thousand  Christians,  who  are  attached  to  our  Missions, 
**  are  members  of  a  nation  numbering  forty  Million  souls,  a 
"  nation,  where  patriotism  is  almost  too  universal  to  be  counted 
"  a  virtue,  and  whose  ideal  it  is  to  take  its  place  as  an  equal 
"  among  the  great  civilized  nations  of  the  world.  Such  a  nation 
"  must  of  course  have  a  Church  of  its  own.  Even  now,  though 
"  an  Indian  Christian,  if  a  Churchman,  not  seldom  counts  him- 
**  self  a  member  of  the  Church  of  England,  of  the  Church,  that 
"  is,  of  the  conquering  race,  to  a  Japanese,  the  idea  of  belong- 
"  ing  to  the  Church  of  a  foreign  land  would  seem  too  ridiculous 
**  to  be  worth  growing  indignant  at.  We  have  tried  to  meet 
"  this  feeling,  surely  a  right  and  worthy  feeling,  on  the  whole, 
"  to  the  utmost  extent  that  prudence,  not  to  say  the  slow  move- 


(     113     ) 

"  ment  of  the  complicated  machinery,  by  which  our  Anglican 
"  communion  does  its  work,  have  permitted  us.  We  have 
**  to-day  a  genuine  native  Church  in  Japan,  with  its  own  con- 
*'  stitutions  and  canons,  drawn  up  in  1887,  not  1603,  and  Synod, 
**  and  Vestries,  and  Missionary-Society,  etc.  All,  it  is  true,  in 
"  their  initial  stage  of  working,  still,  all  mainly  carried  on  by 
**  Japanese  themselves,  and  on,  I  believe,  such  primitive  and 
**  Catholic  lines,  as  will  only  need  expansion  and  development, 
"  not  change,  till  the  day  of  Independence  is  reached." 

Archbishop  Benson  of  Canterbury  thus  expressed  himself  at 
St.    Bride's    Church :    **  The  growth  of  great  Churches  in   the 

*  Greater  England  will  involve  the  recognition,  that  not  every 

*  syllable  of  our  formulas,  which  is  essential  as  against  those, 
'  who  on  our  own  ground  contend  with  us,  is  equally  essential 

*  to  the  Catholic  Faith  at  large.  That  not  every  word  of  our 
'  dearest  liturgies  can  be  as  full  of  meaning  to  those,  who  have 

*  not  lived  our  theological  life,  as  it  is  to  us.  That  for  their 
'  liturgies  of  the  future  they  may  yet  again  fall  back  upon  the 

*  primeval   quarries,    out  of  which    our   own   were   hewn,  but 

*  which  contain  magnificent  stores,  that  we  never  could  appre- 
'  ciate  as  Easterns  can.     Only  under  a  total  misapprehension 

*  of  the  conditions  of  the  problem,  of  the  enormous  multi- 
'  tudes,  of  the  extreme  diversities  of  customs,  of  the  vast 
'  number  of  languages  and  races,  can  the  idea  be  entertained, 

*  that  our  own  limited  ministries  will    suffice  to  spread  living 

*  Christianity  even  in  India  alone.     Conversion  will  not  remain 

*  a  function  of  the  Clergy  only.      The  converts  must  convert. 

*  They  must  be  trained  to  make  the  first  use  of  their  Con- 
'  version  orderly  and  enthusiastically.     There  are  some  kinds 

*  of  elasticity,  which  must  be  active  in  many  countries,  if  the 

*  Church  is  to  win  the  world  to  Christ." 

Bishop  Westcott  of  Durham  thus  expressed  himself:  "India 
'  is  our  special  charge,  as  a  Christian  nation.  India  is  our 
'  hardest  problem,  as  a  Missionary-Church.     Hitherto  we  have 

*  kept  too  exclusively  to  beaten  paths.  Our  mode  of  dealing 
'  with  the  Indian  has  been  too  conventional,  too  English. 
'  Indian  Christianity  can  never  be  cast  in  the  same  mould  as 
'  English  Christianity.  We  must  make  up  our  minds  to  this. 
'  The  stamp  of  teaching,  the  mode  of  life,  which  experience 
'  has  justified  as  the  best  possible  for  an  English  parish,  may 
'  be  very  unfit  when  transplanted  into  an  Indian  soil.  We 
'  must  become  as  Indians  to  the  Indian,  if  we  would  win 
'  India  to  Christ." 

The  late  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  an  experienced  Statesman,  and 
staunch  friend  of  Missions,  wrote  thus  :  *'  We  may  hope,  and  at 
**  no  distant  period,  to  see  a  great  Christian  Church  in  "India, 
"  with   distinct   national   characteristics   of  its   own,   but  with 


(      114      ) 

"  features,  which  may  be  recognised  by  all  Catholic  Christians, 
"  as  betokening  true  Catholic  unity  with  the  Great  Head  of  our 
"  Faith.  It  would  be  vain  to  speculate  on  what  are  likely  to  be 
"  the  distinctive  features  of  such  an  Indian  Church,  but  we  may 
*•  be  confident,  that  they  will  be  no  mere  copy  of  the  Churches, 
'*  which  have  grown  up  in  and  around  Europe  ;  and  that,  holding 
**  the  truths  which  are  to  be  gathered  from  the  teaching  of  our 
**  Lord  and  His  Apostles,  the  framers  of  the  Church-constitution 
**  of  India  will  find  no  necessity  for  copying  peculiarities,  which 
"  have  been  impressed  on  so  many  of  the  older  Churches  of 
**  Christendom  by  the  circumstances,  under  which  they  were 
"  originally  organized,  in  communities  at  that  time  quite  as 
"  barbarous  as  the  least  civilized  portions  of  India  now  are." 

The  case  is  thus  fairly  stated :  **  There  are  about  sixty 
**  diff'erent  Church-Organizations  working  at  present  in  this 
"  country ;  and,  though  the  success  of  each  of  these  Organi- 
*'  zations  has  been  considerable,  still  those,  who  wish  to  see 
'*  Christianity  have  a  firmer  footing  in  India,  cannot  help  re- 
**  gretting  the  absence  of  a  complete  working  harmony  between 
**  them  all.  The  various  Mission-bodies  working  in  India  have 
"  taken  good  care  to  reproduce  in  their  converts  the  distinct 
*'  denominational  peculiarities,  that  unfortunately  keep  them 
"  asunder  at  home.  *  It  is,  indeed,  a  lamentable  and  even  a 
**  melancholy  thing,'  remarked  the  Quarterly  JReviau,  *  to  force 
"  upon  native  converts  the  evil  inheritance  of  the  divisions, 
**  which  sever  Church  from  Church,  sect  from  sect,  in  the  lands 
**  of  the  Reformation ;  divisions,  which  have  mainly  grown  out 
**  of  peculiar  historical  circumstances,  and  have  little  intelligible 
"  meaning  for  the  races  now  being  won  over  to  Christianity.' 
**  There  is  a  desire,  an  anxious  desire,  amongst  many  of  the 
"  generous  and  active-minded  Christians  everywhere,  at  this 
**  period,  for  some  compromise." 

Dr.  Pulney  Andy  published  at  Madras,  in  1893,  a  collection 
of  papers  connected  with  this  patriotic  movement.  A  National 
Church  for  India  is  out  of  all  reason,  but  a  Church  for  the 
different  Regions,  united  by  race  and  language,  is  a  reasonable 
aspiration.  He  was  one  of  the  first  Hindu,  who  visited  England, 
and  he  was  deeply  struck  by  the  Sectarianism  in  the  Christian 
Churches  :  He  became  a  Christian  in  1 863  :  he  desires  a  National 
Church  without  the  aid  of  European  funds,  or  the  curse  of 
European  supervision :  one  friend  objected  :  *'  what  are  we  to 
do  for  our  livelihood,  if  we  sever  our  connection  with  the 
Mission,  which  provide  us  with  the  means  of  existence  ?"  Here 
we  hit  the  nail  on  the  head :  our  converts  are  rice-Christians : 
the  Indian  Christian  is  entirely  dependent  for  his  earthly  existence 
on  the  Foreign  Mission,  which  moulds  the  new  Society  too  much 
on  a  European  pattern,  for  Missionaries  are  anxious  to  perpetuate 


(      115     ) 

their  own  Church-peculiarities,  instead  of  preaching  the  broad, 
simple  truth  of  New  Testament-Christianity,  and  allowing  the 
Indian  Church  to  develop,  and  amalgamate,  on  a  comprehen- 
sive basis  with  other  clusters  of  neo-Christians,  now  divided  by 
party-differences.  Christianity  was  of  Asiatic  origin,  but  it  has 
donned  a  European  garb,  both  in  thought,  practice,  moral, 
social,  and  political  aspects :  it  will  make  no  progress  in  Oriental 
Nations  until  it  gets  rid  of  its  European  externals.  Moreover, 
the  Missionaries  are  paid  members  of  an  arrogant,  dominant, 
race,  and  their  avowed  object  is  to  break  up  the  social  system  of 
the  country,  more  for  purposes  of  political  ascendancy  than  for 
the  sake  of  real  Christian  Doctrine. 

Dr.  Andy  thus  expresses  himself:  "Now  look  at  the  evils 
"  resulting  from  the  Sectarian  Churches  in  this  land.  A  member 
*'  of  one  Church  gets  discontented  with  the  managers  of  that 
*'  Church.  He  leaves  it,  and  joins  another  Church,  where  he  is 
*'  heartily  welcomed.  Is  this  not  an  encouragement  held  out 
**  to  malcontents  }  An  Agent  of  a  Mission  is  often  tempted 
"  away  to  join  another  sect  by  the  offer  of  a  higher  salary, 
*'  a  mere  proof  that  worldly  motives  have  greater  influence 
"  than  sectarianism,  or  the  conviction  of  the  doctrines  of  any 
•*  particular  sect.  And  with  reference  to  the  self-support  of  the 
"  Churches,  say,  for  instance,  that  there  are  about  one  hundred 
"  Christians  in  a  certain  parish.  By  having  three  or  four 
**  Sectarian  Churches  in  that  locality  there  will  be,  if  equally 
**  divided,  twenty-five  members  for  each  of  those  Churches. 
**  Even  if  each  member  be  able  to  contribute  a  rupee  a  month, 
*'  there  will  be  about  twenty-five  rupees  collected ;  will  this 
"  sum  be  sufficient  to  maintain  a  Minister,  and  meet  other 
*'  demands  of  the  Church  ?  If  there  be  only  one  Church  for 
"  the  hundred  Christian  inhabitants  of  that  parish,  there  will 
*'  be  one  hundred  rupees  collected  monthly,  which  may  in  a 
"  great  way  be  found  sufficient  for  the  management  of  that 
**  Church.  Again,  when  a  Native  Christian  finds,  that  he  is 
**  prohibited  by  the  Church  to  which  he  belongs  from  marrying 
"  his  deceased  wife's  sister,  he  goes  to  another,  where  that 
'*  ceremony  could  be  easily  performed,  and  he  immediately 
*'  afterwards  returns  to  his  former  Church,  where  he  is  again 
**  received  with  his  new  bride  by  the  Minister,  who  refused  to 
"  marry  the  party  in  his  Church.  These  and  other  irregularities 
*'  of  the  Christian  Church  are  carefully  watched  and  criticized 
''  by  the  non-Christian  public,  to  the  detriment  of  our  religion, 
"  and  of  the  further  extension  of  Christ's  kingdom  in  this  land. 
*'  Thus  man-made  Sectarianism  is  proving  itself  a  stumbling- 
**  block  to  the  spread  of  the  noble  religion  of  Christ." 

I  quote  from  the  Church-Missionary-Society's  Report,  1891  : 
"  Mr.  Hutchinson  in  his  Annual  Letter  dwells  upon  a  special 


(      116     ) 

"  danger,  which  arises  from  the  intense  national  feeling  of  the 
"  Japanese  Christians,  and  to  other  dangers  of  a  still  more 
"  serious  kind.  *  I  remember  that  twelve  years  ago,  when 
**  spending  a  few  days  in  Tokio,  there  was  a  meeting  of  Japanese 
"  representatives  from  the  different  Churches,  at  which  was 
**  mooted  the  desirability  of  bidding  foreign  teachers  adieu,  and 
*'  setting  out  on  the  Christian  course  on  Japanese  lines  with 
"  the  Scriptures  as  the  sole  guide.  That  proposal  was  then 
"  negatived,  owing  to  the  good  sense  of  some,  who  recognised 
"  the  gravity  of  such  a  step,  and  their  own  want  of  preparation 
**  for  it.  But  the  idea  has  never  been  abandoned,  and  it  is  now 
"  both  widely  spread  and  deeply  felt,  that  the  forms  and  cere- 
"  monies  and  institutions  of  Christianity  generally  must  be 
"  overhauled  and  re-shaped  by  Japanese  minds  and  hands, 
**  apart  from  foreign  interference,  the  reason  being,  not  that 
**  our  present  forms  and  regulations  are  unsuitable,  but  simply 
"  that  they  have  been  made  by  foreigners,  therefore  something 
*'  different  must  be  set  up  by  Japanese  alone.  Let  us  not  call 
"  this  childish,  but  sympathetically  recognise  it  as  the  outcome 
"  of  an  intense  national  feeling,  more  than  a  wave  of  passion 
**  sweeping  over  the  land,  rather  the  welling  forth  of  an  irre- 
"  sistible  stream  of  long  pent-up  patriotism.  How  to  meet  this, 
"  and,  whilst  avoiding  the  semblance  of  opposition,  which 
"  would  be  futile,  to  guide  in  a  safe,  because  Scriptural, 
"  direction,  is  the  serious  problem  which  is  before  us.'  " 

At  the  first  of  the  Indian  Missionary-Conferences  held  at 
Lah6r,  December  1862,  at  which  I  was  present,  the  Rev.  John 
Newton,  of  the  American  Presbyterian  Mission,  read  a  paper  on 
the  subject  of  an  Indian  Catholic  Church.  He  proposed  a 
Mission  on  the  following  bases:  (i)  a  Creed;  (2)  Rites  and 
mode  of  worship  left  to  each  congregation  ;  (3)  a  Collegiate 
Presbyterian  Pastorate  in  each  Church  ;  (4)  a  body  of  Evangelists, 
or  Bishops,  superior  to  Pastors;  (5)  general  Councils  or  Synods 
as  a  bond  of  union  for  all  the  Churches  of  India. 

Short  of  this  he  suggested  separate  Church-Organizations, 
separate  creeds,  but  the  uniting  work  of  confederation,  providing 
for  (i)  interchange  of  ministerial  service,  (2)  intercommunion 
of  the  people,  and  (3)  councils  to  regulate  the  affairs  of  the 
entire  body  in  its  relation  to  the  outer  world. 

He  remarked  with  truth,  that  there  would  be  no  difficulty  with 
the  Natives,  as  they  have  acquired  as  yet  no  great  partiality  for 
one  phase  over  another.  They  have  not  as  yet  passed  through 
the  furnace  of  affliction,  and  would  readily  adopt  any  mode  of 
worship,  any  form  of  government,  any  system  of  doctrine,  based 
on  the  Bible.  The  difficulty  would  be  from  the  European  and 
American  Missionaries.  In  his  opinion  a  present  Union  of  the 
Churches  was  not  to  be  thought  of:    the  time,  however,  was 


(  "'  ) 

near  at  hand,  when  Natives  Churches  must  be  independent  of 
foreign  support  and  foreign  control. 

He  then  suggested  by  way  of  preparation  for  such  future 
Union:  (i)  Joint  itinerancies;  (2)  Interchange  of  pulpits; 
(3)  Union- prayer-meetings;  (4)  Joint  Communions;  (5)Common 
religious  Periodicals;  (6)  Periodical  Conferences. 

Thirty  years  have  elapsed,  and  the  dear  good  man,  who 
uttered  these  words,  has  passed  away,  dying  at  his  post.  When 
I  glance  my  eyes  down  the  list  of  speakers  in  that  Conference, 
I  find  few,  who  now  survive,  and  the  prospect  of  Union,  while 
a  single  white  Missionary  remains,  is  distant.  But  after  all 
some  of  the  Churches  are  in  the  fifth  generation  of  Christians, 
and  they  ought  to  have  some  degree  of  independence :  if 
Episcopal,  their  own  Native  Bishop  ;  if  Presbyterian,  their  own 
organization :  the  real  struggle  between  the  white  and  the  dark 
coloured  man  has  still  to  come.  The  true  policy  of  a  Missionary- 
Society  is  to  efface  itself,  as  soon  as  the  Lord's  work  is  done. 

15.  Certainty  of  Opposition  from  Old,  and  New,  Forms 
OF  Religion. 

I  remark  with  great  satisfaction  notices  of  organized  opposi- 
tion to  the  Missionaries.  I  read  in  one  report,  that  an  active 
Hindu  Propaganda  is  at  work  in  S.  India ;  lectures  are  given  in 
defence  of  the  ancient  Faith,  and  tracts  distributed  against 
Christianity.  This  is  as  it  should  be.  Anything  is  better  than 
passive  stupidity,  or  scornful  contempt.  If  the  Missionary  be,  as 
he  ought  to  be,  confident  in  the  Truth,  he  will  rejoice,  that  the 
hour  of  contest  has  arrived.  The  National  Indian  Association 
of  London  has  started  a  school  for  girls,  in  which  purely  Secular 
Education  is  given :  in  fact  attempts  are  being  made  to  buttress 
up  Hinduism,  and  a  period  of  great  intellectual,  and  spiritual, 
struggle  has  been  entered  upon,  not  without  social  and  domestic 
pressure  upon  converts,  which  can  hardly  be  called  Persecution 
in  the  sense  usually  applied  to  those  words. 

I  read  again  of  the  Press  being  vigorously  employed  to 
counteract  Missionaries,  and  scurrilous  tracts  upon  Gospel- 
history  being  circulated.  How  old  Missionaries  must  ponder 
upon  their  practice  forty  years  ago  in  grossly  abusing,  and 
holding  up  to  scorn,  the  Hindu  Deities,  and  Mahomet,  while 
the  crowd,  scarcely  understanding  the  question,  only  laughed. 
Things  are  changed  now.  The  Gospel  is  as  true  as  ever,  but  it 
must  be  preached  in  a  spirit  of  love  not  dogmatism,  sympathy 
not  abuse,  sweet  reasonableness,  as  Paul  used  to  preach  at 
Athens  and  Lystra.  I  read  of  a  Society  for  the  Propagation 
of  Hinduism,  and  it  is  wisely  remarked,  that  such  hostility 
proves   the   attention,   which  Christianity  is  compelling.     The 


(    lis    ) 

Agents  of  the  Madras-Hindu-Tract-Society  meet  the  Missionary 
at  nearly  every  station,  abuse  Christianity,  and  circulate  anti- 
Christian  literature,  but  their  opposition  only  brought  larger 
audiences.  The  Maharaja  of  Travanc6r  appears  to  entertain  a 
lecturer  in  his  College  in  defence  of  his  Faith. 

In  Calcutta  the  Missionary  is  met  by  the  agents  of  the  Arya 
Somaj :  the  increased  spontaneous  evangelical  activity  of  con- 
verts is  noticed :  many  educated  natives  listen  patiently  to  the 
Missionary,  who  a  few  years  ago  would  have  reviled  the  holy 
Name.  Sometimes,  but  not  often,  stone-throwing  is  mentioned  : 
the  British  rule  over  subject  Provinces  is  tighter  than  was  that 
of  the  Roman  Procurator  at  Jerusalem :  we  allow  free  speech, 
free  assembly,  and  free  Press,  but  no  violence  or  uproar.  The 
Hindu  places  himself  close  to  the  Mission-School,  and  urges 
the  children  to  leave  the  School ;  and  implores  their  parents  to 
save  them  from  the  jaws  of  the  English  wolf:  endeavours  are 
made  to  keep  wives  and  daughters  from  contact  with  the  female 
agents,  but  the  conduct  of  the  latter  is  so  gentle  and  judicious, 
that  the  feeling  of  their  own  sex  is  in  their  favour.  The  Buddhists 
of  Japan  summoned  the  aid  of  the  American  Colonel  Olcott,  a 
Theosophist,  to  help  them  to  oppose  Christianity :  he  went  on 
a  preaching  tour,  and  had  numbers  to  listen.  The  Unitarians 
are  also  very  influential.  A  Missionary  from  Japan  in  the  Church- 
Missionary-Society-Report,  1891,  writes: 

**  Unhappily  Unitarianism  has  been  presented  lately  in  a  most 
*'  fascinating  guise,  promising  all  that  is  good  in  Christianity 
**  without  the  essential,  the  foundation-truths  concerning  sin 
'*  and  atonement  and  regeneration  and  sanctification.  This 
"  has  laid  hold  of  the  Native  mind,  and  is  doing  untold  harm 
"  to  the  infant  Churches.  Besides  this,  owing  to  the  spread 
"  of  un-Christian  teaching  generally,  there  is  great  danger,  lest 
"  the  minds  of  our  people  be  turned  aside  from  the  Faith  by 
**  specious  doctrines  of  a  materialistic  and  speculative  philosophy, 
*'  which  is  being  warmly  welcomed  even  by  many  Native 
"  Christian  teachers." 

In  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report  of  1891,  I  find  the 
following : 

**  At  one  place,  indeed,  where  we  had  been  staying  several 
"  days,  the  schoolmaster  (schoolmasters  in  South  China  are 
**  often  our  worst  enemies)  wrote  a  warning  notice  about  us, 
**  and  fixed  it  on  the  trunk  of  a  tree  by  the  roadside  near  to  the 
"  place  where  our  boat  was  moored.  Our  native  helper  on 
**  seeing  it  took  it  down  and  brought  it  to  me.  I  have  it  now 
"  before  me.  Translated  into  English  it  reads  as  follows : 
**  '  Beware  !  Whereas  barbarian  demons  have  for  many  years 
**  clandestinely  entered  the  Flowery  Land,  be  it  known,  that  two 
"  of  these  demons,  possessing  cunning  eyes,  have  presumed  to 


(     "9     ) 

**  come  into  our  neighbourhood,  and  have  brought  with  them  a 
**  dog,  which  also  possesses  cunning  eyes.  Now,  when  these  said 
*'  barbarians  arrived  at  Tai  Ting  May,  they  were  forthwith  com- 
'*  pelled  to  leave,  because  the  people  of  the  eighteen  provinces 
*'  of  China  have  been  commanded  indeed  to  stab  to  the  heart 
"  any  barbarian  demon  they  may  meet,  with  faces  as  smooth  as 
**  oil,  but  with  hearts  like  swords.  Consider  what  these  demons 
**  are  about.  By  day  they  beguile  simple  folk  by  giving  away 
"  medicine ;  whilst  at  night,  under  the  cover  of  darkness,  they 
**  sally  forth,  accompanied  by  the  dog,  and  dig  into  the  hills 
"  of  our  pure  country  (China)  and  take  out  precious  stones. 
''  Nor  is  this  the  only  evil.  They  thereby  cause  the  baneful 
*'  influences  to  escape,  which  will  certainly  injure  us.  Why  do 
*'  we  remain  heedless  ?  Dated  the  year  of  Kwong  Sii,  the  fifth 
"  month  and  the  first  day.'  The  dog  referred  to  is  a  very 
*'  harmless  terrier.  This  idea  of  our  coming  to  seek  for  precious 
*'  stones  is  very  prevalent.  Along  this  river  it  is  hardly  possible 
*'  to  go  on  shore  near  towns  or  villages  without  being  watched, 
*'  and  questioned  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  silver  and  precious 
"  stones.  However  emphatic  may  be  our  denial  of  having 
*'  come  for  such  a  purpose,  they  generally  hold  fast  to  their 
"  opinion  of  us.  We  are  supposed  to  possess  seven  eyes,  by 
"  means  of  which  we  can  see  into  the  depths  of  the  earth." 

This  is  almost  as  foolish  as  what  the  Missionaries  say  about 
the  non-Christian  people,  but  not  so  wicked. 

In  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report,  1891,  a  Madras 
Missionary  writes  thus : 

"  Brahmoism  and  Theosophism  are  not  now  making  that 
*'  progress,  which  those,  who  introduced  them  into  this  country, 
**  hoped  that  they  would  do.  The  adherents  of  the  above 
"  Associations  are  but  few,  and  these  do  not  succeed  in  attracting 
"  the  attention  and  in  enlisting  the  sympathies  of  their  fellow- 
*'  Hindus  in  reference  to  their  peculiar  line  of  thought  and 
*'  action.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  materialists,  secularists,  and 
**  indifferentists  are  increasing  in  the  educated  Hindu  com- 
**  munity.  This  state  of  things  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  for 
*'  the  very  nature  of  the  Education  given  in  this  country  cannot 
"  but  produce  the  above  results.  It  is  an  undeniable  fact,  that 
*'  the  more  the  Hindus  of  this  country  imbibe  Western  scientific 
*'  and  literary  truths,  the  more  they  are  led  to  look  upon  their 
"  religion  (Hinduism)  as  fabulous  and  fictitious.  At  the  same 
*'  time  they  entertain  the  erroneous,  as  well  as  unhappy,  idea 
**  that  all  religions,  including  Christianity,  are  equally  false  and 
*'  so  incredible.  This  is  invariably  urged  by  the  Hindu  as  their 
**  main  difficulty  in  accepting  Christianity." 

This  opens  out  the  great  question  of  high-class  Education,  to 
which  I  have  already  alluded  among  ''Methods  not  recommended:" 


(      120     ) 

let  Missionaries  and  Christian  Teachers  remember,  that,  if  they 
sweep  the  human  intellect  clear  of  all  belief  in  the  Supernatural, 
the  result  must  follow  described  above. 

The  danger  of  opposition  is  not  so  much  from  the  Old-World 
Religions :  they  are  in  their  nature  tolerant,  but  from  the  new 
religious  conceptions,  which  English  Education  has  produced. 
I  quote  from  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report,  1891  : 

"  Opposition  from  the  heathen  has  been  bitter  in  some  cases. 
**  Attacks  on  the  Bible,  and  on  the  character  of  Christ,  were 
*'  made  by  lecturers,  particularly  by  an  Arya  Samajist.  At  the 
"  end  of  January  we  had  a  visit  from  Padri-Kharak  Sing,  who 
**  continued  for  several  days  to. give  addresses  to  Aryans,  and  all 
**  who  cared  to  come  and  hear  him.  Carpets  were  spread  in 
**  our  hospital-compound,  and  forms  provided  for  the  audience. 
"  But  none  are  so  deaf  as  those,  who  will  not  hear,  and  those 
**  present  were  chiefly  Aryans,  of  whom  it  may  be  truly  said, 
*'  'They  enter  not  in  themselves,  and  those  who  are  entering  in 
"  they  hinder.'  One  youth  was,  however,  greatly  drawn  to  us, 
'*  but  the  Aryans  got  hold  of  him,  and  he  eventually  returned  to 
"  his  home  in  a  native  State.  Anj^one,  wishing  to  become  a 
*'  Christian,  is  immediately  attacked  by  these  Aryans,  who  entice 
**  him  by  off'ers  of  place  or  salary ;  or,  if  he  will  not  listen,  they 
**  dog  his  steps  wherever  he  goes,  threaten  him,  nay,  shut  him 
**  up,  steal  his  clothes,  and  in  some  cases  even  poison  those, 
"  who  are  firm  in  their  wish  to  join  us." 

It  is  a  pity,  that  a  Missionary  should  condescend  to  write  the 
closing  lines :  no  doubt,  when  a  Hindu  is  persuaded  to  be 
baptized,  the  same  ungenerous  remarks,  and  with  equal  truth, 
are  made  as  regards  the  Missionary.    There  should  be  no  abuse. 

I  have  alluded  above  to  the  Hindu-Madras-Tract-Society:  it 
is  interesting  to  quote  from  their  first  Report,  for  they  follow 
after  European  models :  we  have  taught  them  the  art  of  fence, 
and  attack,  in  our  own  language :  **  The  chief  causes,  that  con- 
*'  tributed  to  the  establishment  of  this  Society,  are  to  be  found 
'*  in  the  various  spiritual  influences,  that  are  at  work  amongst  us 
**  in  these  days  of  religious  revival.  After  a  long  sleep  of  many 
**  Centuries,  during  which,  owing  to  many  political  convulsions, 
"  we  did  not  pay  due  attention  to  our  religion,  literature,  and 
**  other  things,  that  distinguished  us  as  a  nation,  or  that  gave 
"  us  national  individuality,  we  have  now  awakened  to  the 
"  grandeur  and  perfection  of  our  ancient  religion.  . 
**  We  owe  more  to  the  activity  of  antagonistic  foreign  in- 
"  fluences  in  our  midst  than  to  any  other  cause,  for  the  for- 
"  mation  of  this  Tract-Society.  We  have  painfully  witnessed 
**  the  injustice  done  to  our  religion  by  foreign  and  native 
"  Christian  Missionaries.  Baseless  charges  were  trumped  up 
*'  against  it ;  and,  relying  on  the  poverty  of  the  masses,  and 


(     121     ) 

"  the  ignorance,  that  generally  prevails  amongst  them  regard- 
"  ing  their  own  religion  and  their  own  traditions,  those  apostles 
**  of  foreign  creeds  have,  by  means  fair  or  foul,  attempted,  and 
*'  even  succeeded  to  some  extent,  in  leading  our  poor  brethren 
"  astray.  This  aroused  in  us  the  instinct  of  self-preservation, 
*'  and  made  us  see  the  need  of  some  Organization  like  the 
"  present  one  ;  and,  since  the  Christian  Propaganda  could 
"  only  thrive  by  destroying  the  better  religion  bequeathed  to 
"  us  by  our  ancestors,  we  were  obliged  to  use  against  the 
"  Missionaries  their  own  weapons." 

There  is  much  dignity,  and  a  high  tone  of  feeling,  in  the 
above  remarks :  they  are  foemen  worthy  of  our  steel.  We 
doubt  nothing  of  the  strength  of  our  cause.  *'  Magna  est 
Veritas,  et  prgevalebit."  But  we  have  no  precedent  for  such 
an  environment  of  circumstances  in  past  centuries.  The  lists 
are  kept  open  by  a  strong  British  Government :  the  combatants 
must  fight  no  longer  by  empty  abuse,  but  by  the  power  of  the 
Spirit,  and  the  deep  convictions  of  the  Soul. 

I  quote  from  the  Mission  of  the  World,  No.  i,  of  1894, 
the  following  passage  :  **  A  universal  Hindu  Conference  was 
"  lately  held  at  Banaras :  the  practical  conclusions  were  to 
"  appoint  a  day  of  united  prayer,  to  employ  evangelists  to 
"  circulate  Tracts  and  Scriptures,  and  to  establish  a  Hindu- 
*'  Mission-School :  this  is  the  Brahmanical  revival." 

I  remark,  that  all  the  Christian  Methods,  even  that  of 
approaching  the  Almighty  in  prayer,  are  adopted  by  the  non- 
Christian. 

In  Africa  I  read  of  actual  opposition  by  force :  I  quote  from 
the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report  of  1891  :  "In  Abeokuta 
"  some  of  the  chiefs  have  repeated  the  effort,  which  was  made 
"  in  January,  1891,  to  expel  the  Missionaries,  and,  failing  in 
'*  this,  have  sought  to  hinder  their  work  in  other  ways.  They 
*'  have  prohibited  the  refugees  from  Iberekoda  from  attend- 
•*  ing  the  services.  One  of  the  most  powerful  of  the  heathen 
*'  chiefs,  however,  has  not  approved  these  acts.  Ikeriku,  one 
"  of  the  townships  of  Abeokuta,  still  continues  alone  to  be  the 
"  heathen  centre  of  Human  Sacrifices." 

I  notice  symptoms  of  the  same  opposition  to  the  Missionary 
among  the  Maori  in  New  Zealand.  New  religious  conceptions, 
quite  unconnected  with  Animism,  or  Idolatry,  have  gained  an 
entrance,  and  are  known  by  the  names  of  Te  Kooti,  Te  Whiti, 
or  Hau-Hau :  they  are  indigenous.  Mormonism  is  brought 
from  America: 

I  quote  the  remarks  of  the  Archdeacon  from  the  Church- 
Missionary-Society-Report  of  1892:  *'  With  regard  to  the  work 
"■  in  Waikato,  and  amongst  the  Hau-Hau  generally,  there  are 
''  many  hopeful  signs.     Tawhiao,  the  religious  as  well  as  civil 


(     122     ) 

*'  head  of  his  followers,  has  formally  renounced  his  makeshift, 
"  childish,  religion,  and  discourages  its  practice,  so  that  there 
"  is  no  profession  of  any  kind,  excepting  amongst  the  followers 
**  of  Te  Kooti  and  Te  Whiti.  This  has  been  succeeded  in 
"  most  instances  by  absolute  indifference.  Of  them  it  may 
*'  truly  be  said,  that  their  last  state  is  worse  than  their  first.  1 
**  was  present  at  a  large  gathering  of  upwards  of  a  thousand 
**  in  May  last,  and  spent  a  week  with  them.  I  thus  had  abun- 
*'  dant  opportunity  of  talking  with  them.  When  asked  what 
**  religion  they  intend  to  embrace  next,  there  was  great  difference 
**  of  opinion,  but  very  few  had  any  idea  of  returning  to  the  form 
"  of  Christianity  they  once  professed.  So  deep-rooted  is  their 
**  alienation,  that  it  will  take  much  patient  and  faithful  working 
**  before  they  will  return  as  a  body.  The  work  of  bringing 
**  their  fathers  to  Christ  in  their  early  days  of  Cannibalism  and 
**  gross  superstition  was  easy,  as  compared  to  that,  which  now 
**  lies  before  us.  We  have  to  contend  not  only  with  the  original 
**  natural  man,  but  also  with  the  vices  and  infidel  teachings 
**  derived  from  Civilization." 

And  again  in  the  Report  of  1891  :  "The  defection  of  a  large 
**  number  of  Maori  in  the  Whanganui  district  to  Te  Kooti 
**  was  mentioned  in  last  year's  Report.  Altogether,  it  appears, 
**  that  about  one  hundred  adherents,  including  twenty  who  were 
**  communicants,  have  gone  over.  These  were  on  the  Whan- 
**  ganui  River,  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev.  Eruera  H.  Te 
**  Ngara,  who  has  been  much  disheartened  in  consequence  of 
*'  their  desertion." 

Efforts  have  been  made  to  bring  them  back  into  the  Christian 
fold,  but  without  much  success.  Sometimes  the  Civil  power 
has  to  interfere.  Mr.  Maunsell,  and  the  local  constable,  had 
much  difficulty  in  preventing  a  resort  to  arms  on  the  part  of 
a  loyal  tribe  in  the  neighbourhood,  who  resolved  to  intercept 
Te  Kooti  by  force.  Troops  from  Auckland  to  Gisborne  arrived 
opportunely  on  the  scene,  and  most  of  Te  Kooti's  followers 
were  put  under  arrest.  He  himself,  after  making  his  escape, 
was  secured  and  conveyed  to  Auckland,  but  was  subsequently 
released  on  bail. 

It  is  not  clear,  why  the  Missionary  called  the  tribe,  who  were 
prepared  to  use  force  against  Te  Kooti  "  loyal "  :  it  was  a 
matter  of  Religion,  not  of  obedience  to  the  Ruling  Power.  The 
Arm  of  the  Flesh  should  under  no  circumstances  be  resorted 
to  :  there  is  always  this  tendency  in  the  followers  of  a  dominant 
Religion  to  coerce  all,  who  dissent  from  their  views,  and  it  is 
unworthy  of  our  Great  Cause. 

The  Mormons  are  described  in  the  following  extract  from  the 
same  Report : 

•'  In  the  Otaki  district  also  a  sad  secession  has  occurred,  the 


(     123     ) 

*  majority  of  the  inhabitants  of  a  small  village  near  Porirua 
'  having  gone  over  to  the  Mormons.     Mr.  McWilliams  says :  I 

*  am  glad  to  say,  however,  that  those  who  were  really,  and  not 
'  merely  nominally.  Christians  and  Churchmen,  have  remained 

*  faithful  to  the  Church,  and  will  no  doubt  in  time,  by  their 

*  consistent  example  and  arguments,  win  the  more  intelligent 
'  and  spiritually-minded  of  their  brethren  back  again.     When  I 

*  was  last  there,  I  was  shown  a  copy  of  the  *  Book  of  Mormon,' 

*  which  has  just  been  published  in  the  Maori  language,  and 
'  which  had  been  lent  to  our  lay-reader,  in  hopes  that  it  would 

*  turn  him  to  Mormonism.      But  it  had  no  such  effect.      For- 

*  tunately  he  is  very  intelligent,  thoughtful,  and,  for  a  Maori, 
'  well-read  man.      He  characterized  the  book  as  '  a  jumble  of 

*  platitudes  and  nonsense,  intermixed  plentifully  with  cribbings 
'  from  our  Holy  Scriptures  with  the  sense  altered  and  the  names 

*  of  persons  and  places  changed.'  He  said,  that  had  it  come  to 
'  them  before  the  Bible,  it  might  have  been  some  improvement 

*  on  their  former  condition  of  heathenism  and  constant  strife  to 
'  have  followed  its  teaching,  but  to  attempt  to  introduce  it  now, 
'  as  an  advance  upon  the  teaching  of  the  Bible,  was  like  trying 
'  to  make  them  believe   that  fern-root  was  better  food  than 

*  bread  and  mutton."  The  Hindu-Tract-Society  writes  in  the 
same  style  about  the  Bible,  and  the  Jew  speaks  thus  of  the  New 
Testament. 

I  quote  the  remarks  of  a  writer  from  China  to  show  the  degree 
of  opposition  to  the  Missionary :  I  can  in  no  way  support  his 
appeal  to  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh  :  Supposing  that  we  substitute 
the  word  Russia  for  China,  and  suggest,  that  the  Western  Powers 
should  compel  Russia  to  admit  Protestant  Missionaries,  how 
ridiculous  it  would  sound  !  and  China  has  as  much  right  to 
manage  her  own  affairs  as  Russia. 

**  Unless  the  European  Powers  insist,  that  China  shall  fulfil 
**  the  elementary  duties  of  a  civilized  State,  and  protect  residents, 
**  who  have  due  passports,  these  riots  will  grow  more  numerous 
*'  and  dangerous,  and  eventually  there  will  be  national  embroil- 
'*  ments.  This  is  no  mere  Swedish  question.  The  rowdy  mobs 
"  make  no  distinction  ;  Missionaries  and  merchants  of  any  other 
**  nationality  are  in  equal  danger.  It  is  a  question  for  the 
"  united  firmness  of  all  Western  nations  dealing  with  a  Power, 
**  which  will  issue  high-sounding  proclamations  by  the  acre  and 
**  do  nothing.  We  should  insist,  that  it  shall  be  made  harder 
*'  for  a  mandarin  to  do  wrong  than  to  do  his  duty." 

What  a  low  idea  the  writer  has  of  a  Missionary,  the  Ambassador 
of  Christ,  when  he  classes  him  with  Merchants  of  Opium,  Liquor, 
Lancashire  Cottons,  and  Incense  brought  by  Christian  men  for 
the  use  of  Pagan  Worship. 


(  1^4  ) 


IV.     MISSIONARY    HOME-AGENCY. 


CAP, 

IV. 


The  Missionary  Home-Agency. 


The  Board  of  Missions. 

The  Association,  sub-Sections  A  and  B. 

The  Deputations. 

The  Financial  Department. 

The  Publications. 

Sensationalism. 


I.  The  Board  of  Missions. 

1.  For  Administrative  Purposes. 

2.  For  Consultative,  and  Controlling,  Purposes. 

This  subject  cannot  be  left  without  remark,  yet  it  does  not 
require  detailed  description.  It  used  to  be  one  of  those  fond 
visions,  which  rose  before  the  minds  of  old  Clergy,  who  knew 
nothing  about  the  actual  work  of  the  Missions  of  the  Church  of 
England  all  over  the  world.  It  was  not  a  question  of  shades 
of  Ecclesiastical  thought,  for  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of 
the  Gospel,  and  Church-Missionary-Society,  were  equally  opposed 
to  it,  and  1  denounced  the  original  plan  in  the  Committee  of 
both  Societies,  and  at  the  Society  for  Promoting  Christian 
Knowledge.  The  Church  of  Rome  is  too  wise  to  entertain  such 
an  idea:  she  has  twelve,  or  more,  Congregations  in  Great 
Britain,  or  France,  or  Germany,  or  Spain,  or  Italy,  or  elsewhere, 
to  whom  she  entrusts  the  work  of  particular  Geographical  Areas. 
At  Rome  the  Council  **De  Propaganda  Fide"  controls,  but  does 
not  interfere  with,  the  Organization  of  these  powerful  Congre- 
gations :  of  course  Rome  controls  their  doctrine,  arranges  their 
Geographical  limits,  and  as  they  are  totally  outside  all  Old-World 
territorial  Episcopal  jurisdiction,  settles  their  hierarchy.  Twenty 
years  ago  I  called  at  the  De  Propaganda,  at  Rome,  and  asked 
for  a  Report  of  the  different  Missions  of  the  Church  of  Rome. 
No  report  was  to  be  had :  so  I  waited  on  an  Ecclesiastic,  and 
asked  him,  whether  I  could  have  a  copy  of  any  Annual  Report : 


(     125     ) 

he  replied,  that  it  was  possible,  but  not  probable.  However, 
time  has  gone  on,  and  we  have  now  annually  an  admirable 
Report  in  Latin,  "Missiones  Catholicae,"  with  Maps  and  Statistics. 
Nothing  could  be  better.  The  windows  of  the  Church  of  Rome 
are  opening  to  the  Light  of  Reason,  and  Public  opinion 

"  Fas  est  et  ab  hoste  doceri :  "  this  is  just  what  the  Church  of 
England  ought  to  do,  and  is  doing :  all  wild  attempts  at  adminis- 
trative interference  have  been  placed  aside,  but  an  excellent 
Organization  has  come  into  existence  for  consultative,  and  con- 
trolling purposes,  such  as  a  Church,  which  places  in  the  Field  a 
larger  number  of  Missionaries  than  any  other  Church  in  times 
past  or  present,  ought  to  have.  I  had  no  hesitation  in  accepting 
a  seat  on  such  a  Board :  it  moves  slowly,  but  perhaps  that  is  a 
merit :  there  is  one  for  the  Province  of  Canterbury,  and  another 
for  York,  but  they  meet,  and  very  much  act  together,  and  there 
is  the  germ  of  good  things  in  the  movement.  Their  Reports 
throw  together  the  work  of  all  Associations  :  this  is  a  great 
advance  :  I  happen  individually  to  know  what  each  Association 
is  doing,  but  the  general  public  have  no  means  of  information, 
and  to  the  old  country-Clergy  it  must  have  been  a  great  mystery: 
the  greatest  glory  of  our  Church  from  the  time  of  Patrick, 
Columba,  Aidan,  and  Boniface,  has  been  her  Missions  to  the 
non-Christian  World.     So  be  it  always  ! 

2.  The  Association. 
I  divide  this  Section  into  two  sub-Sections  : 

A.  The  relation,  which  the  Association  through  its  repre- 

sentatives bears  to  the   Church  and    the  outside 
public. 

B.  The  relation,  which  it  bears  to  Missionaries  in  the 

Mission-Field. 

I  quite  understand,  that  I  am  playing  the  part  of  a  fiend 
in  rushing  into  sacred  regions,  where  Angels  dare  not  tread,  but 
I  have  no  '*  arri^re  pensee,"  no  personal  predilections,  or  anti- 
pathies. I  am  well  acquainted  with  the  principles  of  adminis- 
tration, and  have  an  eye  to  perceive  the  merits  and  demerits  of 
a  System,  which  has  grown,  as  it  were,  by  the  influence  of  its 
environment.  I  feel  convinced,  that  Reform  is  necessary.  I 
proceed  now  to  discuss 

Suh- Section  A.    . 

A  voluntary  Association,  composed  to  a  great  degree  of  simple- 
minded  and  unworldly  persons,  male  and  female,  contributes 
funds  to  create  and  carry  on  the  affairs  of  a  great  Spiritual 
Empire  in  Foreign  parts.    I  confine  myself  solely  to  the  Church 


(      126     ) 

of  England :  I  am  well  acquainted  with  the  practices  of  the 
Church  of  Rome,  and  our  Nonconformist  Protestant  brethren  in 
England,  and  the  independent  Churches  in  Scotland,  Ireland, 
the  Continent  of  Europe,  and  the  United  States,  but  I  have  no 
space  for  such  details. 

The  Church  of  England  is  represented  by  the  following  Asso- 
ciations, self-supporting  and  self-governing,  owing  Ecclesiastical 
obedience  to  the  Archbishops  and  Bishops,  but  entirely  inde- 
pendent of  the  State  : 

1.  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel. 

2.  Church-Missionary-Society. 

3.  London-Jews. 

4.  South  American. 

5.  Melanesian. 

6.  Universities'  Missions  to  E.  E.  Africa,  Calcutta,  and  Dehli. 

7.  Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Christian  Knowledge. 

8.  Rio  Pongas,  W.  Africa. 

9.  Zulu-land,  and  possibly  others,  who  will  forgive  me  for  not 

mentioning  them. 

10.  Female  Associations.     (God  bless  them  1  ) 

I  omit  all  notice  of  (i)  attempts  to  proselytize  other  denomi- 
nations of  Christianity,  (2)  all  Colonial  Church-enterprises,  (3) 
all  sporadic  efforts  of  good,  but  often  very  unwise,  individuals, 
(4)  all  purely  Educational  and  Training  Institutions,  (5)  all 
Associations,  in  which  Members  of  the  Church  of  England  act 
in  concert  with  their  Nonconformist  brethren,  of  which  blessed 
union  I  highly  approve. 

I  did  not  hesitate,  when  the  idea  was  put  forth  of  superseding 
Associations  by  an  administrative  Board  of  Missions,  repre- 
senting the  Church  in  its  central  entirety,  to  put  forth  a  pamphlet 
against  any  such  policy :  my  words  were  quoted  at  a  subse- 
quent Church-Congress,  and  the  idea  was  dropped.  I  do  not 
hesitate,  however,  to  quote,  what  other  persons  put  forth  as  their 
opinions  on  the  merits  of  the  Association,  or  Society. 

Some  very  pregnant  remarks  occur  in  the  Missionary  Review 
of  all  the  Worlds  Jan.  1894,  p.  119.  I  am  not  informed  as  to 
the  name  of  the  author. 

**  The  'Society'  has  become  rich,  tyrannical,  never  was  very 
'*  spiritual,  and  was  always  unscriptural ;  it  has  a  tendency  to 
**  Ecclesiasticism,  and  to  spend  the  largest  reasonable  amount  of  the 
"  Church  gifts  on  the  smallest  reasonable  amount  of  service  due. 

"The  'Society'  has  a  standard  different  from  that  of  the 
**  Church.  It  has  certain  test-questions,  which,  if  not  directly 
**  put  to  the  Missionary,  is  answered  by  some  inquisitor  to  the 
•*  satisfaction  of  the  *  Society.'  Qualification  in  heart  and  head 
"  have  little  force  here,  if  one  of  the  questions  is  not  answered 
**  satisfactorily. 


(     127     ) 

"  It  would  be  more  economical  for  Congregations,  or  clusters 
"  of  Congregations,  to  send  out  their  Missionaries  ;  it  takes  not 
"  less  than  7  or  8  per  cent,  of  the  Society's  receipts  to  manage 
"  the  concern. 

"  The  existence  of  the  '  Society'  is  an  obstacle  in  the  way  of 
"  the  spread  of  the  Kingdom.  The  native  helpers,  and  workers, 
*'  become  dependent  upon  the  various  *  Societies' ;  the  growth 
"  to  self-support  is  very  slow  indeed.  If  the  Missionary  came 
"  to  the  people  unsalaried,  and  representing  nothing  but  the 
**  Cross  of  Christ,  he  could  with  more  power,  and  grace,  exhort 
"  the  native  believers  to  labour  for  themselves,  that  they  may 
**  be  a  burden  to  no  man.  Very  few  Missionaries  can  explain 
"  with  a  clear  countenance  the  words  of  Paul,  that  he  worked 
*'  with  his  own  hand,  that  he  might  not  be  a  burden. 

*'  The  '  Society'  is  a  positive  hindrance  to  self-support  among 
"  the  Native  Churches.  The  *  Society '  prohibits  workers  from 
"  acting  without  orders  from  headquarters,  as  that  would  be 
"  destruction  of  the  rights,  and  the  authority,  of  the  *  Society.' 

''  I  do  not  forget  to  make  the  distinction  between  the  '  Society' 
**  and  the  *  Society  '-brethren.  I  can  easily  conceive,  how  good 
**  brethren  might  be  led  away  by  the  *  Society,'  and  by  virtue 
"  of  the  relation  they  sustain  to  it,  fall  into  error  and  injustice, 
**  to  which  they  would  not  condescend  if  acting  as  individual 
"  brethren.  This  of  itself  exposes  a  danger  not  to  be  passed 
**  over  lightly." 

I  wish  to  treat  the  subject  impartially  and  judicially.  The 
Association  is  represented  (i)  by  a  Committee  of  Managers, 
which  will  be  commented  upon  in  this  Section  ;  (2)  by 
Deputations,  to  get  in  Subscriptions  ;  (3)  by  a  Financial  Depart- 
ment, to  record  the  income  and  expenditure ;  (4)  by  its  Publica- 
tions, to  report  progress  and  rouse  interest.  These  three  subjects 
will  be  commented  upon  in  the  three  following  Sections. 

The  Committee  consists  of  Members  and  Secretaries.  The 
Members  receive  absolutely  nothing,  no  salary,  and  no  fees,  as 
in  Insurance-Companies,  no  advantage  whatever,  except  free 
copies  of  Publications,  against  which  I  entirely  protest,  as  an 
abuse.  They  are  elected,  or  rather  co-opted,  on  which  I  shall 
have  remarks  to  make.  The  Secretaries,  as  a  rule,  are  paid 
Salaries  not  exceeding  £500  per  annum;  the  Honorary  Secre- 
tary has  no  salary,  and  is  of  course  a  Member  of  the  Committee, 
like  any  other  Member. 

I  wish  to  make  some  preliminary  remarks  before  I  go  into 
detail.  In  these  days  of  self-laudation,  and  the  easy  building 
up  of  a  transitory  reputation,  I  would  warn  all  friends  of  Missions 
to  *'  Beware  of  setting  up  your  own  Society  in  the  place  of  Christ, 
"  and  doing  worship  and  sacrifice  to  your  own  net,  and  bringing 
"  incense  to  your  own  drag :  if  the  Lord's  work  be  accomplished. 


(      128     ) 

*•  what  matter  by  whom  it  is  done  ?  If  the  Lord's  work  can 
"  only  be  accomplished  by  the  death  of  a  Missionary,  and  the 
"  destruction  of  a  Society,  be  it  so :  it  was  a  means  to  an  end : 
*'  let  that  end  be  accomplished." 

Next  comes  the  difficulty  felt  in  State-Offices,  and  in  Secular 
and  Scientific  Societies,  to  repress  the  inordinate  power,  claimed 
by  the  permanent  salaried  officials  against  the  Members  of 
Council,  who  go  out  by  rotation.  I  quote  the  following  from 
the  pages  of  the  Times  regarding  Secular  Associations:  "This 
**  arrangement  only  adds  to  the  power,  which  naturally  accrues 
**  to  the  permanent  officers.  No  matter  how  able  and  honest 
*•  they  may  be,  and  I  have  not  said  one  word  in  derogation  of 
"  the  ability  and  honesty  of  any  one  of  them,  they  naturally  and 
*'  inevitably  use  that  excessive  power  in  accordance  with  their 
"  personal  idiosyncrasies,  from  which  no  man  can  escape,  and 
**  under  the  influence  of  motives,  which,  when  in  long  and 
"  persistent  operation,  deflect  the  course  of  the  best  men. 

"  The  President,  after  discussing  possible  ways  of  giving 
"  ordinary  councillors  greater  power  as  against  permanent 
**  officials,  declined  to  commit  himself  to  any  definite  proposition, 
**  and  added  :  '  But  the  great  confidence,  which  the  Society  has, 
**  especially  of  late  years,  placed  in  its  more  permanent  officers, 
"  and  the  power,  which  naturally  accrues  to  them  from  the 
"  comparatively  short  tenure  of  office  by  the  other  members  of 
"  council,  appear  to  me  to  be  points,  of  which  the  Society  should 
**  not  lose  sight.'  This  is  just  about  as  strong  a  pronouncement, 
"  as  could  be  made  in  the  circumstances  upon  any  matter 
*'  affecting  the  management  of  the  Society." 

The  next  danger  is  illustrated  by  another  passage  culled  from 
the  Times  with  regard  to  the  management  of  Hospitals. 

"  A  strong  objection  to  the  constitution  of  the  proposed 
"  Board  might  be  made  to  rest  upon  the  extent,  to  which  it 
"  would  provide  a  happy  hunting-ground  for  faddists,  a  class  of 
**  people,  who  cluster  thickly  about  every  kind  of  charitable 
**  work,  and  of  whom  it  may  be  said,  generally  speaking,  that 
"  they  neither  do  good  themselves,  nor  suff"er  it  to  be  done 
*'  by  others."     Secretaries  are  famous  for  Fads. 

The  constitution  of  all  Missionary-Committees  is  not  the 
same  :  the  same  feature  is  exhibited  in  Hospital-Committees. 
I  again  quote  the  Times :  **  Some  donors  contribute  to  St. 
**  George's,  because  they  approve  of  the  weekly  Board,  open  to 
"  all  Governors,  by  which  the  affairs  of  the  hospital  are  managed, 
**  and  to  which  committees  can  only  report.  Others  approve 
"  of,  and  support,  an  almost  absolute  personal  government,  such 
"  as  that,  which  exists  at  St.  Bartholomew's,  at  Guy's,  or  at 
*'  St.  Thomas's.  Others  approve  of  a  -plan,  which  prevails  at 
**  many  hospitals,  under  which  the  general  body  of  subscribers 


(     129     ) 

*'  submit  themselves  to  a  ruling  Committee,  and  which  combines 
**  all  the  weaknesses  of  a  despotism  with  all  the  weaknesses  of 
"  a  democracy.  Out  of  these  main  differences  in  modes  of 
"  government,  many  minor  differences  in  organization  become 
*'  developed." 

I  also  quote  from  the  Times  the  account  of  an  investigation 
into  a  most  unsatisfactory  case,  which  seems  to  describe  in  its 
salient  features  the  mode  of  procedure  of  at  least  one  Missionary- 
Committee,  with  whose  mode  of  conducting  business  I  am  very 
familiar.  I  have  only  made  slight  changes  to  bring  out  the 
resemblance. 

**  What  did  the  Committee  do  ?:  It  used  to  sit  every  Monday 
"  morning,  and  receive  reports  from  the  Secretary,  the  Solicitor, 
**  and  the  Accountant.  Their  statements  were  considered,  and 
'*  discussed,  and  the  officers  were  instructed  to  act  according  to 
"  the  terms  ordered  by  the  Committee  after  having  heard  the 
"  reports. 

**  The  Committee  consists  of  all  the  members  of  the  Board  ?  : 
"  Yes. 

"  Over  40  }  :  Sixty  members,  including  myself. 

"  And  the  attendance  is  often  as  numerous  as  50  .? :  Very  often. 

**  Does  it  strike  you,  that  that  is  hardly  the  kind  of  body  suited 
"  to  deal  with  such  a  matter  as  the  management  of  a  great 
"  concern,  and  the  details  connected  with  it?:  The  officers 
**  report  to  the  Committee. 

**  Does  not  that  necessarily  leave  the  matter  in  the  hands  of 
"  the  officers  ? :  I  do  not  think  so.  They  make  their  report  to 
"  the  Committee.  Their  reports  receive  the  greatest  possible  care. 

'*  But  surely  a  body  of  50  persons  cannot  go  into  the  details 
**  in  the  same  way  as  a  small  body  would  do  ? :  There  was  a 
"  difference  of  opinion.  Some  of  my  colleagues  preferred  a 
"  smaller  body,  but  the  majority  the  larger  body. 

"  The  result  seems  to  show,  that  the  matter  was  left  in  the 
*'  hands  of  the  officers  of  the  Board,  who  did  very  much  what 
*'  they  liked  ?  :  I  do  not  think  so. 

**  Perhaps  'did  what  they  liked  '  is  too  strong  an  expression, 
S^*'  but  at  all  events  they  did  a  good  many  things,  that  the  Board 
"was  totally  unconscious  of?:  I  am  sorry  to  say,  that  this 
*'  investigation  shows  that  they  did. 

'*  Do  you  think  that  a  body  of  50  people  selected  the  best 
"  machinery  for  managing  ? :  The  attendance  of  the  Board  is 
•*  very  good,  but  there  are  not  always  50  members  present  at 
'*  II  o'clock,  when  the  Committee  sits. 

"  But  sometimes  there  would  be  one  set  of  members,  and  on 
"  other  occasions  another  set  ?  :  No.  Some  members,  as  at  the 
'*  House  of  Commons,  attend  to  their  duties  thoroughly,  and 
"  others  do  not. 


(     130     ) 

"  Still  there  were  usually  30  or  40  members  present,  as  far  as 
•*  I  can  gather  ?  :  Generally." 

In  the  smaller  Church-Societies  there  is  no  trouble :  in 
the  Melanesian  and  Universities'  Missions  the  Bishop  is,  in  fact, 
the  autocrat-ruler.  It  is  in  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Gospel,  and  the  Church-Missionary-Society,  only  that  the  action 
of  the  Committee  is  felt.  For  the  first  time  in  its  history  this  year 
there  has  been  a  contest  for  seats  on  the  Executive  Committee 
of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  which  has  all 
the  power :  the  General  Committee,  which  all  Members  can 
attend,  are  mere  dummies,  and  often  doddering  old  men :  it  is 
not  even  reported  to  them,  what  the  Executive  has  done,  or  pro- 
poses to  do  :  here  we  have  a  Committee  reduced  to  the  very 
lowest  level  of  mere  existence :  clearly  this  is  an  error  in  one 
direction:  no  doubt  the  affairs  are  conducted  wisely  by  the 
Venetian  Council,  which  sits  with  closed  doors,  but  a  breath  of 
popular  opinion  ought  to  be  allowed  to  fan  the  cheeks  of  that 
august  body.  The  Secretary,  and  his  Assistants,  act  with  great 
reserve,  and  take  no  forward  part ;  the  latter  neither  vote,  nor 
open  their  mouths  :  all  that  the  subscribers  can  do  is  to  ventilate 
any  possible  grievance,  and  submit  their  resolution  to  the  kind 
consideration  of  the  Venetian  Council.  The  Church-Times 
remarks,  that  the  two  outsiders  were  pledged  to  Reform,  and 
that  it  is  a  healthy  sign,  that  there  is  an  increased  interest  outside 
in  the  concerns  of  the  Society. 

Not  many  miles  off,  in  another  street,  you  can  enter  the 
Committee-Room  of  another  Society,  the  Church-Missionary- 
Society.  The  Committee  of  Correspondence  consists  of  scores 
of  members,  lay  and  clerical :  the  Secretaries,  every  one  of  whom 
has  votes,  do  not  fall  short  of  eight.  The  qualification  of  a 
clerical  member  of  the  Committee  is  an  annual  subscription  of 
half-a-guinea.  Every  measure  relating  to  the  Mission-Field  goes 
in  the  first  instance  to  a  small  elected  sub-Committee  for  each 
large  geographical  area:  there  the  subject  is  thrashed  out 
without  the  forms  of  regular  debate,  and  a  resolution  arrived  at : 
this  is  submitted  to  the  Correspondence-Committee,  the  majority 
of  whom,  though  not  so  well  qualified  as  the  sub-Committee,  are 
still  capable  of  forming  an  opinion :  the  matter  then  for  the 
third  time  is  submitted  to  a  kind  of  ^F/juo<i,  called  the  General 
Committee,  consisting  of  scores  of  ten-and-sixpenny  parsons, 
country-clergymen,  who  have  dropped  in  for  a  few  hours  at  a 
kind  of  Ecclesiastical  Club,  and  doddering  old  lay  members,  who 
crawl  in  for  a  short  time,  and  it  is  in  their  power  to  cancel,  or 
modify,  the  careful  decision  of  competent  men.  Nothing  can 
be  more  unwise  than  this  arrangement.  1  have  repeatedly 
protested.     "  Magna  est  vis  inertiae." 

Then  comes  the   question  as  between  the  Members  of  the 


(     131     ) 

Committee,  and  the  paid  Secretaries.  These  last  choose  to 
usurp  the  status  of  a  *'  Secretariat,"  or  a  corporate  body :  of 
course  Mr.  Venn,  Mr.  Wright,  and  the  present  Honorary 
Secretary,  are  as  much  members  of  the  Committee  as  any  other 
member :  I  have  been  for  a  very  long  term  of  years  Honorary 
Secretary  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society,  and  no  one  would 
dispute  my  right ;  but  the  paid  Secretaries,  neither  in  Scientific 
Societies,  nor  any  Religious  Society,  have  a  right  to  vote,  or 
debate :  their  duty  is  to  make  statements,  and  answer  questions, 
and  it  is  a  mere  usurpation  on  their  part  to  do  more  than  that. 
The  Secretaries  of  Hospital-Committees,  of  the  Boards  of 
Guardians,  of  the  Bench  of  Magistrates,  are  Medical  Men 
or  Solicitors,  yet  none  of  them  ever  intervene  in  the  debate,  or 
presume  to  vote :  the  fact,  that  they  are  paid  servants,  bars 
them.  This  is  a  fundamental  error,  and  should  at  once  be 
corrected. 

To  a  letter  of  Mr.  Venn,  the  honoured  Honorary  Secretary  of 
the  Society,  when  it  was  a  comparatively  small  concern,  this 
error  must  be  traced. 

**  It  is  more  than  half  a  century  since  I  first  took  my  seat  in 
**  the  Committee.  Perhaps  I  may,  then,  be  allowed  a  few  words 
"  at  the  close  of  so  long  a  period,  which  comprises  nearly  two 
**  generations  of  men.  In  such  a  work  as  this  it  is  absolutely 
"  necessary,  that  a  large  and  generous  confidence  should  be 
**  reposed  in  the  Secretaries.  There  can  be  no  practical  danger 
**  of  their  confidence  being  disappointed,  as  long  as  the  Com- 
*'  mittee  shall  uphold  the  principle  of  equality  of  responsibility 
*'  among  the  Secretaries,  and  the  practice  of  forming  their 
**  decisions  by  general  agreement  rather  than  by  casting  votes. 
**  The  relation  of  Secretaries  to  the  Committee  is  not  that  of 
"  Secretaries,  or  Clerks  to  a  Parochial  Board,  or  an  ordinary  Com- 
"  pany,  but  rather  that  of  Secretaries  to  a  Scientific  Institution, 
"  or  of  Secretaries  of  State  to  a  Cabinet  Council.  The  Secre- 
"  taries  of  our  Society  are  the  originators  of  the  measures  to  be 
**  passed,  the  chief  authorities  on  its  principles  and  practice, 
"  and  must  often  act  upon  their  own  discretion  in  cases  of 
**  emergency,  and  in  confidential  interviews  with  Church,  or 
•*  State  authorities.  At  the  same  time  I  must  bear  my  testimony, 
**  that  this  large  confidence  reposed  in  the  Secretaries  is  not 
**  inconsistent  with  the  independence  of  judgment  and  ultimate 
"  supremacy  on  the  part  of  the  Committee.  I  could  give 
"  innumerable  instances  to  show,  that  the  Committee  never 
*'  resign  their  opinions  in  any  important  point  without  a  frank 
"  discussion  of  the  difference,  and  that  great  principles  are 
**  never  sacrificed  in  deference  to  the  authority,  age,  or  ex- 
**  perience  of  others." 

Mr.  Venn  had  been  the  nursing-father  of  the  Society  for  many 


(     132     ) 

years,  and  was  an  able  administrator  :  it  is  recorded  of  him,  that 
he  never  voted  himself:  of  course  he  had  become  a  benevolent 
despot,  but  the  Committee,  vi^hich  used  to  consist  of  a  few 
persons  gathering  round  him,  had  grown  into  a  strong,  inde- 
pendent body.  As  a  sample  of  the  pupillage,  in  which  they 
were  held,  no  Agenda-paper  was  laid  before  the  Committee :  the 
Secretaries  brought  forward  such  business  as  they  thought  fit : 
the  correspondence  of  the  Missionary  was  only  accessible  to  the 
Secretary:  it  was  only  by  a  struggle  that  these  elementary 
reforms  were  gradually  arrived  at. 

Another  feature  of  the  Committee  is,  that  it  is  composed  of 
men  with  their  sons,  and  sons-in-law,  and  their  brothers,  in  the 
Mission-Field :  it  is  difficult  to  raise  the  voice  against  an  agent 
without  offending  a  Secretary  or  a  Member:  the  Committee 
itself  is  a  great-family-preserve  of  brothers-in-law:  I  have  some- 
times looked  round  the  room  to  work  out  the  relationship  of 
each  member.  I  have  sat  on  many  Boards  and  Councils  for  the 
settling  of  affairs  of  the  greatest  magnitude,  but  no  secular  work 
could  be  properly  conducted  under  the  conditions  of  such  a 
Missionary-Committee  :  it  lasts  sometimes  eight  hours  :  part  of 
the  time  there  is  a  crowd,  and  a  dozen  sub-Committees  talking 
in  each  corner  of  the  Room  :  after  luncheon  it  is  difficult  to 
maintain  a  quorum  :  the  persons  the  least  qualified  make  the 
longest  speeches,  and  are  heard  the  most  frequently :  while 
scores  sit  on,  and  utter  no  words  :  (Bless  them  for  their  silence  1) : 
perhaps  one  of  the  Secretaries  gives  a  kind  of  lecture,  as  from 
a  Professor's  chair:  it  must  be  recollected,  that  this  Committee 
is  not,  like  the  House  of  Commons,  a  deliberative  body,  but  like 
a  Board  of  Education,  or  Guardians  of  the  Poor,  an  executive 
body. 

I  must  in  justice  throw  in  a  little  colour  on  the  other  side.  I 
have  been  for  more  than  forty  years  a  witness,  and  a  student,  of 
the  conduct  of  human  aff"airs,  but  I  never  realized  such  purity 
of  motive,  such  simplicity  of  conduct,  and  on  the  whole  such 
practical  wisdom,  as  is  found  in  such  a  body.  There  is  always 
a  feeling  of  tenderness,  almost  too  sentimental,  on  the  part  of  a 
Committee  towards  their  Missionaries  :  on  the  other  hand,  the 
wild  complaints,  and  often  unreasonable  requests,  of  the  Mis- 
sionary, which  would  distress  a  Director,  roll  up  like  the  waves 
of  the  Atlantic  against  the  impersonal  Committee,  and  go  off"  in 
noise.  The  Missionary  would  no  doubt  prefer  leaving  the 
direction  of  his  aff'airs  in  the  hands  of  a  Committee  rather  than 
be  at  the  mercy  of  a  Director.  Committees  ought  to  consist 
both  of  ordained  and  lay  members,  and  their  duties  should  be 
divided  :  the  control  of  the  Finance  should  be  left  exclusively  to 
the  lay  members,  while  the  selection  of  candidates  for  employ- 
ment should  be  reserved  to  the  ordained  members. 


(     133     ) 

There  are  always  two  alternatives  open  to  an  Association. 
An  influential  moderate-sized  Committee  is  decidedly  the  best 
machinery,  as  it  never  dies,  and  is  composed  of  such  a  diversity 
of  experiences  and  talents,  as  conduce  to  good  Government. 
If  again  there  exists  in  the  Association  men  of  independent 
means,  and  good  capacity,  able  and  willing  to  be  unpaid  Secre- 
taries, and  as  it  were  Prime  Ministers  of  the  Committee,  nothing 
could  be  better.  But  sometimes  the  material  fails  for  an  efficient 
Committee,  and  paid  Secretaries  have  to  be  secured.  It  is  then 
quite  open  to  the  Association  to  entrust  the  Executive  to  high- 
minded  and  efficient  paid  Directors,  responsible  only  to  the 
Association,  or  they  can  appoint  the  same  calibre  of  men  to  be 
paid  Secretaries  to  carry  out  the  decisions  of  the  Committee. 
Both  these  Methods  have  their  advantages,  and  corresponding 
disadvantages.  Under  a  Directorship  is  a  more  defined  policy,  a 
greater  control,  greater  economy  of  time,  but  Death,  Decay  of 
Faculties,  and  the  human  infirmities  of  Arrogance,  and  Egoism, 
have  to  be  reckoned  upon.  A  Committee  leaves  no  room  for 
such  faults,  but  there  is  a  terrible  waste  of  time  in  useless  talk 
of  ill-informed  members,  vacillation  of  purpose,  laxity  of  control, 
and  then  the  Secretaries,  or  one  or  two  pushing  ones,  attempt, 
and  succeed  in  their  attempt,  to  wield  the  power  of  the  Director 
without  the  responsibility,  and  this  has  none  of  the  advantages, 
and  all  the  disadvantages,  of  both  systems. 

For  the  last  fifteen  years  my  life  has  been  from  week  to  week 
a  daily  tramp  from  the  Church-Missionary-Society  to  the  Bible- 
House,  from  the  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge  to 
the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  from  the  Bench 
of  Magistrates  to  the  Board  of  Guardians,  from  the  Council  of 
the  Royal  Geographical  Society  to  the  Council  of  the  Royal 
Asiatic  Society,  from  the  Local  Political  Committee  to  the  Anti- 
Slavery-Society-Committee,  in  addition  to  innumerable  tempo- 
rary or  smaller  ones,  such  as  Organizing  Committees,  General 
Purposes-Committees,  Subject-Committees  of  Missionary  Con- 
ferences, etc.,  Committees  of  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  Church, 
or  Rio  Pongas-Mission  in  W.  Africa ;  yet  in  none  have  I  found 
the  position  of  the  paid  Secretaries  so  markedly,  and  really 
objectionably,  prominent  as  in  the  Church-Missionary-Society. 
A  Secretary  is  appointed  on  a  salary  to  do  a  particular  duty, 
hold  his  tongue,  edit  the  Periodicals.,  keep  the  accounts,  but 
not  to  get  up  and  speak  without  being  called  upon  by  the  Chair 
on  every  possible  subject,  just  because  he  is  a  self-asserting 
individual.  Those  Secretaries,  who  remain  quiet  and  mind  their 
own  business,  have  greater  personal  influence,  as  the  trusted, 
experienced,  and  honoured,  friends  of  the  Committee.  There 
is  no  peculiarity  in  the  work  of  the  Church-Missionary-Society 
to  justify  it.     It  would  not  be  well  to  fill  a  Committee  with 


(     134     ) 

dummies  to  vote  the  decision,  previously  settled  upon,  of  a  paid 
Secretariat.  This  is  a  stage  lower  than  the  Venetian  Council 
of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel. 

I  have  remarked  with  freedom  on  the  features  of  the  Com- 
mittees of  the  two  great  Societies,  both  of  which  I  honour,  and 
I  do  so  in  the  interest  of  those  Societies.  The  constitution  of 
one  requires  expansion,  of  the  other  contraction.  One  perhaps 
is  too  staid  and  cold,  the  other  too  sensational  and  warm.  Of 
the  Church-Missionary-Society  it  may  be  remarked  with  extreme 
gratitude,  that  it  is  quite  ready  to  surrender,  if  necessary,  some 
portion  of  the  Church-Order,  which  we  inherit  from  the  Mediaeval 
Centuries,  but  will  not  surrender  anything,  that  leads  to  the 
saving  of  souls,  which  is  the  very  object,  and  hope,  and  joy,  of 
its  existence.  Moreover  it  has  no  Ecclesiastical  bandage  over 
its  eyes,  and  recognises  great  facts,  and  extends  the  right  hand 
of  friendship  and  sympathy  to  all  Protestant  Societies,  whether 
British  or  Foreign,  without  reference  to  Denomination,  re- 
membering the  words  of  our  Lord  :  *'  Other  sheep  1  have,  who 
are  not  of  this  fold." 

Another  difficulty,  which  will  press  more  each  decade,  is  that 
the  Church-Missionary-Society  is  getting  too  large  to  be  managed 
by  one  Committee:  there  are  two  remedies  :  (i)  decentralize; 
(see  sub-Section  B)  (2)  have  two  Associations  and  two  Com- 
mittees. When  Secretaries  are  multiplied  to  a  dozen,  one  of 
two  things  will  certainly  happen  :  either  the  work  of  the  Society 
will  be  sub-divided,  and  a  difference  of  practice  will  arise,  or  in 
the  strain  of  each  Secretary  and  a  certain  number  of  the  Mem- 
bers, to  keep  themselves  informed  of  the  whole,  the  work  will  be 
scamped  :  there  will  be  a  continuous  unhappy  struggle  to  keep 
abreast  of  the  work,  and  no  time  for  quiet  counsel,  and  unofficial 
exchange  of  views. 

I  have  often  reflected  on  what  should  be  the  model-constitu- 
tion of  a  Missionary-Society- Committee  :  it  diff"ers  from  a  Secular 
Society  in  this  :  if  I  had  had  to  deal  with  an  official  environment, 
such  as  that  of  the  Church-Missionary-Society,  and  the  Society 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  in  the  Boards  of  Hospitals, 
Guardians,  or  Magistrates,  I  should  have  formed  a  party,  and 
fought ;  replaced  the  Secretaries,  got  rid  at  the  next  Election  of 
the  opposing  Members,  or  have  been  got  rid  of  myself.  But  in 
doing  the  Lord's  work,  such  as  Missions,  Religious  Conferences, 
etc.,  etc.,  we  cannot  use  carnal  weapons :  In  old  days  in  the 
Church-Missionary- Society  I  have  witnessed  stand-up  fights 
between  the  Prime  Minister  and  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer, 
and  some  Members  of  the  Committee  were  notoriously  on  the 
subject  of  their  own  fads  combative  and  intolerant :  **  Non 
tali  auxilio : "  We  may  be  thankful,  that  that  phase  has  passed 
away :  if  the  Opposition  had  succeeded  in  outvoting  the  Honorary 


(     135     ) 

Prime  Minister,  he  would  have  resigned :  who  would  take  his 
office  ?  as  to  turning  out  the  paid  Secretaries,  it  could  not  be 
thought  of:  ten  years  ago  a  paid  Secretary  was  dismissed,  and 
individual  Members  of  the  Committee  had  to  support  him  out  of 
their  own  pockets  for  two  years  till  he  was  got  off  to  America, 
for  he  was  entirely  without  resources  :  his  eyes  were  blind  to 
his  own  untenable  position  till  the  day  came,  when  he  was  got 
rid  of  to  the  great  relief  of  all. 
I  proceed  now  to  discuss 

Sub- Section  B. 

Still  more  difficult  is  the  relationship  of  the  Home-Committee 
to  the  Local  Conference-Committee,  or  Council,  and  the  Mis- 
sionaries, who  compose  it  in  the  Field.  In  some  Missionary- 
Societies  the  Home-Committee  exercises  a  despotic,  and  often 
injudicious,  rule ;  on  the  other  hand,  I  have  met  Missionaries  in 
the  Field,  who  stated,  that  they  allowed  the  Home-Committee  no 
power  of  interference  :  Their  duty,  according  to  my  informant, 
was  to  supply  Money  and  Men,  and  leave  everything  else  to 
those,  who  being  out  in  the  Field  knew  best.  Thus  in  some 
cases  the  Bishop  in  his  Diocese,  the  Presbytery,  or  the  Mission- 
Conference  settle  everything,  and,  if  attempts  were  made  to 
draw  the  reins  tight,  would  break  away  into  separate  Organiza- 
tions. No  doubt  there  is  the  greatest  safety  in  the  middle 
course  :  those,  who  hold  the  Purse-strings,  sooner  or  later  must 
have  the  control.  But  a  wise  policy  suggests  great  liberty  to 
the  local  bodies  within  certain  rules.  The  necessity  of  preparing 
an  annual  budget  of  expenditure  will  always  remind  the  local 
Committee  of  their  helplessness  in  a  death-struggle,  unless  they 
have  a  strong  home-party  behind  them.  I  cannot  think  it  wise 
in  a  Home-Committee  deputing  a  Secretary,  or  Inspector,  to 
visit  the  Mission-Field :  it  creates  a  bad  feeling :  if  any  par- 
ticular information  be  required,  it  is  better  to  ask  the  brethren  in 
the  Field  to  depute  one  of  their  number  as  a  delegate  to  the 
Home-Committee.  In  some  desperate  contingency,  such  as, 
when  in  South  Africa  misguided  Missionaries  took  away  the  life 
of  an  African,  it  might  be  justifiable  to  send  men  of  weight  from 
home.  The  Missionaries  have  experience,  the  Inspector  has 
none.  In  Secular  Matters,  such  as  the  administration  of  India, 
the  high  officials,  who  manage  the  great  Provinces  and  Districts, 
would  not  tolerate  the  appearance  of  a  Jack-in-office  from  the 
India- House  in  London,  and  the  Secretary  of  State  is  too  wise 
to  have  recourse  to  such  an  expedient.  The  Opium-Commission 
of  1893  was  merely  a  snare  of  the  Fowler  to  put  a  stop  to  an 
unhealthy,  and  ridiculous,  agitation. 

The  fact  is,  that  a  much  larger  delegation  of  authority  must 
be  made  by  the   Home-Committee   to  the  Local  Committees. 


(     136     ) 

Nothing  is  so  dangerous  and  injurious  as  over-strained  centrali- 
zation :  the  little  men,  and  busybodies,  who  compose  the 
Home-Committee  are  jealous  of  surrendering  to  an  old-estab- 
lished Mission  that  degree  of  independence,  to  which  they  are 
entitled  :  it  is  not  proposed  to  confer  the  same,  or  similar,  powers 
on  all  Mission-Fields,  but  to  class  the  Fields  according  to  their 
peculiarities  and  degree  of  progress,  as  the  Colonial  Office  has 
classed  the  Colonies.  I  have  seen  the  work  in  the  Field  :  I  say 
to  the  Home-Committee,  "Trust  your  men"  :  remember  that 
they  are  all  spiritual  men  :  there  is  no  danger  with  them  of 
peculation  or  dishonesty :  Mission-work  has  got  to  a  level  far 
above  such  possibilities :  what  the  Local  men  lack  is  often 
Wisdom,  and  a  wider  knowledge  than  their  environment 
supplies,  and  many  of  them  are  babes  in  Finance.  There  are 
signs  of  murmuring  in  the  camp,  while  there  is  a  congestion  of 
work  in  the  Home-Committee :  the  great  motto  is,  "  Divide  et 
Impera."  As  I  described  a  few  pages  back,  the  cakes  are  baked 
three  times  over,  and  burnt,  in  the  Committee :  the  Local 
Authorities  are  crying  out  for  fresh  bread  of  their  own  baking. 

The  conditions  of  graduated  Home  Rule  in  the  Mission-Field 
must  be,  that 

(i)  They  do  not  exceed  their  Budget-allowance. 

(2)  They  undertake  of  their  own  volition  no  new  work,  which 

entails  a  recurring  expenditure,  for  which  they  cannot 
provide  in  the  Field,  for  they  have  large  local  resources 
in  some  Fields. 

(3)  They  make  the  Native  Church  feel  the  dignity  of  indepen- 

dence, and  become  self-supporting.  Anything  short  of 
this  is  mere  playing  with  the  great  duty  of  Evangeliza- 
tion :  a  village  of  rice-Christians  is  a  disgrace,  not  a 
glory.      Paul  the  Apostle  is  quite  clear  on  this  subject. 

(4)  Grants  for  salaries  must  not  be  diverted  to  other  purposes. 

They  must  keep  clear  of  the  epidemic  of  brick  and 
mortar,  which  attacks  weak  emotional  minds  of  those, 
who  have  the  Church  architectural  tastes  of  an  old  rich 
country.  The  souls  of  the  congregation  compose  the 
Church  of  Christ,  not  the  brick  and  mortar-walls. 

(5)  They  must  be  prepared  to  share  in  the  years  of  tightness, 

as  well  as  of  abundance,  of  the  Home-Committee. 

(6)  They  must  make  a  proper  rendition  of  accounts :  frightful 

deficiencies  are  sometimes  disclosed  on  the  death,  or 
withdrawal,  of  a  spiritual  agent :  but  it  is  the  same  in 
Great  Britain.  It  is  not  sufficient  to  be  honest,  but 
so  to  act,  that  the  world  may  be  convinced  of  your 
honesty.  There  was  trouble  some  years  ago  about  a 
Secretary   in   the   Church-Missionary-Society,    and    I 


(     137     ) 

was  conversing  with  our  late  President,  the  Earl  of 
Chichester,  on  the  subject,  and  he  remarked,  that 
the  same  thing  had  happened  in  another  case  twenty- 
years  before. 
(7)  If  high-handed  individuals  on  the  Local  Committee  defy 
the  Home-authorities,  their  delegated  powers  must  be 
withdrawn,  and  they  themselves  invited  to  withdraw, 
for  the  Home-Committee  is  the  sole  Trustee  of  the 
funds  collected  in  Great  Britain,  and  has  the  sole 
responsibility  of  accounting  to  its  supporters,  who 
know  the  Members  of  the  Committee,  but  are  entirely 
ignorant  of  the  local  Agents. 

But  in  the  Field,  in  addition  to  the  Local  Committee,  which 
is  a  creature  of  the  Home-Committee,  there  exists  the  Bishop  of 
the  Diocese.  Now  there  are  Dioceses  and  Dioceses  ;  there  are 
Bishops  a«^  Bishops.  The  purely-Missionary-Dioceses,  such  as 
Melanesia,  Falkland-Islands,  East  Equatorial  Africa,  and  such, 
have  free  hands.  Here  the  Bishop  must  know  better  than  the 
Committee,  for  all  things  are  new.  Another  group  of  Bishops 
are  very  improperly  paid  by  the  State  from  taxation  of  the  non- 
Christian  subjects  of  Her  Majesty.  A  third  group  is  paid 
partially  by  contributions  from  the  Missionary-Societies ;  a 
fourth  group  is  paid  entirely  by  the  Society,  which  has  a  voice  in 
recommending.  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel 
invariably  works  through  the  Bishop  as  a  matter  of  course  ;  the 
Church-Missionary-Society  appoints  the  Bishop  to  be  the  Chair- 
man of  the  Local  Committee  at  its  own  pleasure.  With  great 
and  wise  Bishops,  to  whichever  school  of  thought  they  belong, 
there  is  no  difficulty  :  it  is  the  ignorant,  egoistic,  self-willed  man, 
that  gives  trouble  :  and  such  persons,  to  the  great  injury  of 
Mission-work,  do  exist. 

The  reorganization  of  the  Constitution  of  the  two  great 
Societies  is  a  "  sine  qua  non  "  of  future  progress.  Secretaries 
receiving  salary  must  be  reduced  to  their  proper  position  :  if 
it  be  asked  how  this  can  be  managed,  go  to  the  Bible-House, 
and  see :  nothing  can  be  better  than  the  practice  there. 
Theirs  is  a  worldwide  Empire,  and  purely  Missionary:  they 
disburse  more  than  two  hundred  thousand  pounds  per  annum. 
No  ordained  Clergymen,  or  Minister,  is  admitted  to  the  elected 
Committee,  but  those,  who  are  elected,  attend,  and  insensibly 
each  group  attends  to  that  portion  of  the  work,  for  which  his 
professional  or  acquired  gifts  qualify  him.  Thus,  some  look 
after  the  Finance,  others  after  the  Administration  abroad  by  the 
numerous  agents  of  the  Society :  some  attend  to  the  details  of 
paper,  printing,  and  binding  :  a  fourth  set  throw  themselves  into 
the  great  question  of  the  languages,  to  which  the  Word  of  God  is 


(     138     ) 

to  be  entrusted.  The  Secretaries,  men  of  great  ability,  occupy 
their  proper  position :  there  are  no  tedious  speeches  from 
Members  or  Secretaries.  The  work  done  is  done  in  a  spiritual 
way,  and  business- habits,  and  specialities  of  acquired  knowledge, 
are  sanctified  by  consecration  to  the  greatest  Manufactory,  and 
Commerce,  that  the  world  has  ever  known.  Old  worn-out  mem- 
bers of  the  Committee,  lay  or  clerical,  should  not  be  re-elected. 
I  made  my  bow  at  the  age  of  seventy,  set  a  good  example, 
and  withdrew,  and  was  content  with  my  sixteen  other  Com- 
mittees, Councils,  and  Boards:  it  is  not  edifying  to  see  decaying 
remnants  of  vitality  on  the  benches  of  a  Committee,  which  ad- 
ministers the  affairs  of  a  spdritual  Kingdom :  let  there  be  an 
infusion  of  new  blood  every  year  by  a  stern  enforcement  of  the 
number-of-attendances  rule,  and  let  no  attendance  count,  which 
commences  after  midday  and  ends  before  four  p.m.  :  let  the 
number  of  three  great  Geographical  sub-Committees  be  main- 
tained, and  their  hands  strengthened  :  let  the  number  of  the 
Correspondence-Committee  be  reduced,  and  be  annually  re- 
freshed by  striking  out  of  worn-out,  or  incompetent,  members, 
or  the  fathers,  or  fathers  in-law,  or  brothers,  of  Missionaries  in 
that  particular  Field,  and  the  introduction  of  fresh  and  mature 
zeal  and  ability:  let  the  General  Committee,  or  Assembly  of 
Dummies,  be  merely  a  Court  of  Record,  and  Appeal,  resembling 
the  General  Committee  of  the  Society  for  Promoting  Christian 
Knowledge,  where  the  work  of  the  sub-Committees  passes  under 
review,  and  can  be  challenged,  and  new  Motions  introduced  :  the 
third  baking  of  the  Committee-cake  under  the  present  system, 
before  an  audience  almost  entirely  ignorant  of  the  principles  of 
Missions  in  general,  or  the  details  of  the  particular  case,  is  a 
miserable  folly.  In  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Gospel  the  General  Committee  has  fallen  to  a  still  lower  plat- 
form of  degradation,  and  is  not  even  informed  of  the  work  done 
in  the  previous  month.  Old  Clergy  come  in,  sit  round,  and  grin, 
while  idle  forms  are  gone  through,  followed,  however,  by  an 
admirable  address  by  a  Missionary  from  the  Field,  which 
is  most  enjoyable,  and  worth  the  trouble  of  a  long  walk. 
In  the  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge,  and  the 
Church-Missionary-Society,  the  General  Committee  is  at  least 
informed  of  what  has  been  done :  the  Society  for  the  Pro- 
pagation of  the  Gospel  throws  a  veil  over  its  proceedings.  In 
the  Committee  of  the  Bible-Society  every  Member  is  acquainted 
with  what  has  previously  occurred  for  the  simple  reason,  that  he 
took  part  in  what  has  taken  place  at  a  previous  meeting.  I  wish 
finally  to  point  out,  that  a  badly-constructed  Committee  is 
merely  a  mask,  behind  which  high-handed  Secretaries,  who  pull 
the  strings,  can  do  just  what  they  like.  We  require  something 
real :    not  a  Venetian  Council  of  Nine,  as  the  Society  for  the 


(     139     ) 

Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  not  an  ignorant  Stjfio^  in  the  Agora, 
as  the  Church-Missionary-Society,  with  a  fluctuating  body  of 
hearers,  like  the  Members  of  a  Club  who  are  here,  and  are  gone, 
while  someone  is  talking,  and  finally  the  Chairman  should  have 
a  Bell:  the  *' Kakoethes  loquendi"  is  largely  developed  in  a 
Missionary-gathering :  few  have  the  grace  given  to  them  to 
store  up  their  thoughts  among  the  things  not  said :  or,  if  they 
have  nothing  to  say,  to  leave  it  unsaid,  or  if  they  have  only  the 
conventional  two  words  to  utter,  to  remember,  that  "  Brevity  is 
the  Soul  of  Wit."  The  Clerical  Members  are  so  uncontrolled  in 
their  Pulpits,  that  they  carry  the  bad  habit  of  saying  the  same 
thing  twice  over  into  the  Committee-Room. 

The  aspirations  of  the  Local  Committee  of  a  Mission-Field 
have  been  voiced  by  one,  who  is  singularly  competent.  Henry 
Perkins,  the  son  of  a  Missionary  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Gospel  at  Cawnpore,  and  born  in  the  Mission,  gained  his 
post  in  the  Indian  Civil-Service  by  competition,  and  held  the 
highest  posts  :  he  was  at  one  time  my  personal  assistant,  and  I 
feel  indebted  to  him  for  the  example  of  consistent  love  for 
Missions,  which  he  evinced  thirty-five  years  ago :  when  he 
retired  from  Office  on  his  Pension,  he  had  the  grace  vouchsafed 
to  him  to  join  the  Church-Missionary-Society's  Mission  at 
Amritsar  at  his  own  charge:  in  1889,  he  printed  remarks  on  the 
subject  above  discussed :  his  experiences  were  from  the  Field,  mine 
were  from  the  Committee-Room,  and  we  agreed.  He  remarks, 
that  the  supervision  of  the  Home-Committee  was  too  minute ;  that 
an  army  in  the  field  cannot  be  governed  by  a  general  in  an  arm- 
chair in  Salisbury  Square ;  that  the  Home-Committee  is  hindering 
the  Lord's  work  with  the  sincerest  wish  to  help  it.  He  suggests 
a  scheme  of  decentralization,  which  will  give  more  autonomy  in 
the  Field,  for  it  is  impossible  for  a  Committee  8,000  miles  off 
(even  if  an  efficient  body,  which  the  Church-Missionary-Society- 
Committee  certainly  is  not),  to  keep  itself  acquainted  with  the 
details  of  each  one  of  its  Missions  in  the  wide  world.  The 
Home-Committee,  (of  which  in  1881  he  himself  was  a  member,) 
has  no  full  knowledge,  on  which  to  found  a  judgment.  Members 
come  in,  when  the  matter  is  half  discussed,  and  vote. 

In  his  opinion  final  power  of  decision  should  be  given  to  the 
Geographical  sub-Committees,  with  only  a  power  of  appeal  or 
challenge  in  one  of  the  superior  Committees,  whichever  survives, 
and  one  or  other  ought  to  be  got  rid  of.  He  then  tells  us  of 
the  difficulty  of  getting  together  a  Local  Committee  in  the 
Field,  owing  to  the  distances,  and  the  press  of  business  of 
every  man  in  India :  he  makes  a  suggestion  for  a  new  Con- 
stitution, and  points  out  the  danger  of  the  appearance  **  of  a 
strong  man  with  a  Fad  "  :  and  they  are  the  peculiar  fungi,  which 
come  into  existence  on  the  branches  and  trunk  of  great  "Religious 


(     HO     ) 

Societies."  "Goodness  without  wisdom"  is  the  name  of  those 
fungi.  Such  men  are  misfortunes  in  every  part  of  the  world. 
Strange  to  say  he  is  not  opposed  to  a  Missionary  being  on  a 
Secular  Committee,  whose  chief  duty  is  to  look  to  the  drains 
of  a  great  city,  where  he  dwells :  in  this  I  can  see,  that  the 
odour  of  his  past  official  life,  when  he  had  to  do  such  work, 
still  clings  to  the  old  human  vessel  :  and  he  expresses  this 
opinion  on  the  same  page,  in  which  he  deplores,  that  the  hard- 
worked  Missionary  has  not  *'  more  time  for  a  quiet  retirement 
with  God "  :  we  all  feel  in  middle,  and  old,  age  how  sad  life 
would  be  without  that  rich  blessing,  and  yet  how  distressing 
it  would  be  to  be  interrupted  in  the  study  of  the  Bible  by  a 
summons  to  inspect  the  Parish-Sewers.  He  sums  up  his  really 
noble  paper  (and  he  has  left  India  in  his  old  age)  with  the 
suggestion,  that  a  freer  system  of  administration  on  a  few  broad 
principles,  carefully  applied  to  details,  would  relieve  everyone  of 
useless  correspondence,  and  profitless  discussion,  facilitate  true 
work,  and  minimize  friction.  Oh  that  we  were  wise,  and 
considered  these  things  !  but  there  is  a  blindness  in  Associations 
of  men,  secular  and  spiritual,  until  a  shaking  of  dry  bones  takes 
place,  till  a  Bishop  is  killed,  or  a  promising  Mission,  like  that 
in  the  Niger-Delta,  is  destroyed  by  the  blind,  and  wayward, 
folly  of  an  uninstructed  Committee,  driven  on  by  impulsive 
Secretaries,  determined  to  have  their  own  way. 

Perhaps  the  writer  of  these  remarks  may  be  asked  :  why  did 
not  you  during  the  long  years  of  your  Committee-life  urge 
Reform  on  your  Committee  ?  It  was  throwing  words  away,  and 
I  gave  up  the  attempt. 

My  last  proposition  in  Committee  was,  that  experienced  women 
should  be  eligible,  if  proposed,  to  a  seat  in  Committee,  which, 
considering  the  evidenced  capacity  of  numerous  women,  the  vast 
number  of  female  Agents,  exceeding  that  of  the  male,  in  the 
service  of  the  Church-Missionary-Society,  and  the  great  fact, 
that  half  the  population  of  the  world  consists  of  females,  was 
not  wholly  unreasonable.  It  was  met  by  a  fat  old  clergyman, 
who  knew  as  much  about  Mission-work  as  he  did  of  Astronomy 
or  Chemistry,  and  who  evidently  had  more  of  the  conventional 
old  woman  in  him  than  the  thoughtful  male,  moving  the  previous 
question,  which  was  carried  by  a  forty-parson  power  of  ten-and- 
sixpenny  clergymen.  And  yet  we  all  know,  that  this  measure  must 
very  soon  be  carried.  I  rose  from  my  seat,  and  have  never 
darkened  the  door  of  Salisbury  Square  since.  I  had  twice  pub- 
lished confidential  pamphlets  suggesting  reforms:  one  in  i88o, 
** Thoughts  on  our  mode  of  conducting  business"  ;  a  second  in 
1887,  "Suggestions  for  four  organic  changes."  My  first  thought 
was,  that  the  Secretaries  should  be  reduced  to  be  Ministers,  not 
Mecto?'s,  of  the  Committee,  and  I  think  so  still :  they  should  have 


(     141     ) 

no  vote,  and  no  license  to  debate :  no  Reform  has  been  made. 
I  suggested  and  pressed  the  subject  of  Geographical  sub-Com- 
mittees, in  order  that  documents  from  the  Field  might  be  read  : 
this  Reform  was  made.  The  other  suggestions  were  more  or  less 
attended  to,  but  of  the  suggestions  made  in  1887  most  are 
incorporated  in  this  Essay,  as  none  have  been  attended  to  ; 
indeed,  one  Member  suggested  a  vote  of  censure  upon  me  for 
having  ventured  to  criticize  so  perfect  an  administration.  A 
Missionary-Committee  is  the  last  refuge  of  old  Tories,  and 
being  so,  it  will  not  long  escape  the  scorching  light  of  Public 
opinion  thrown  upon  it  by  the  Devotion,  Faith,  and  Intelligence, 
of  this  Progressive  Age :  old  things  must  pass  away,  and  sweep 
the  old  fogies  with  them. 

3.  The  Deputations. 

I  must  now  allude  to  the  accepted  machinery  for  raising 
Funds,  and  the  scientific  organization  spread  over  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland,  making  the  whole  transaction  very  secular, 
very  formal,  very  business-like,  and  very  unlike  Spirituality. 
The  Ministers  of  the  Churches  are  to  blame.  The  duty  of  con- 
veying the  Gospel  to  Regions  Beyond  should  be  preached 
systematically  week  by  week  from  the  Pulpit,  and  enforced 
from  the  Platform  periodically,  by  accurate  information  of  the 
progress  of  the  Work.  Every  member  of  the  Church  should 
supply  himself  with  Missionary- Publications  :  they  need  the 
food,  supplied  by  the  Committee,  quite  as  much  as  the  Com- 
mittee needs  their  subscriptions.  A  spiritual  stimulus,  and 
uplifting  of  flagging  hearts,  are  wanted.  Men  will  never  care 
about  matters,  ot  which  they  know  nothing:  they  cannot  know 
unless  they  are  informed.  It  gives  Life,  and  Love,  to  a  Church 
to  know,  and  desire  to  know,  how  the  Lord's  work  progresses 
among  the  Heathen :  if  the  workers  are  in  trouble,  it  melts  the 
heart  in  sympathy ;  if  in  triumph,  it  rouses  a  Spirit  of  thankful- 
ness :  both  circumstances  are  remembered  in  private  and  family- 
prayer.  We  read  with  long-drawn  breath  the  fortunes  of  the 
Queen's  soldiers,  because  we  are  good  citizens :  why  not  have 
similar  feelings  for  the  Lord's  soldiers,  if  we  are  good  Christians .? 
Missions  to  the  Heathen  are  a  component  part  of  the  Whole 
Duty  of  Man,  and  should  not  be  treated  as  a  fancy,  a  fad,  a 
something  extraneous  from  the  necessities  of  a  good  life.  How 
much  more  interesting  would  be  a  stirring  picture  of  Missionary 
Progress,  than  the  conventional  drone,  which  has  reduced  the 
power  of  the  Pulpit  so  low  }  When  the  great  Societies  spend 
respectively  /^8,ooo  and  /^i 0,000  per  annum  on  Deputations, 
there  should  be  some  result.  Now  one-half  of  the  Annual 
Income  comes  in  without  reference  to  Preacher,  or  Deputation. 


(     H2     ) 

Established  friends  of  the  Society  send  their  contribution  as  a 
matter  of  duty :  of  the  remaining  moiety,  one  half  would  come 
in  on  receipt  of  a  half-penny  reminder  by  post :  it  is  for  the 
remaining  half  moiety,  or  quarter,  of  the  whole,  that  the  whole 
struggle  and  expenditure  takes  place,  and  the  percentage  should 
be  thrown  upon  that  quarter  only. 

Many  of  the  Deputations  unite  the  arguments  of  the  Gospel 
with  the  manner  of  the  Water-Rate-Collector:  it  is  the  daughter 
of  the  horse-leech,  that  we  seem  to  be  listening  to,  "  Give, 
Give ! "  Instead  of  giving  the  information,  expounding  the 
motives,  interesting  the  hearers  with  the  magnificent  story,  and 
leaving  the  duty  of  collecting  to  the  Local  Committee,  ridiculous 
comparisons  are  made  betwixt  the  vast  sums  spent  in  Liquor, 
Tobacco,  Milliners'  Bills,  Foreign  Wars,  and  the  cost  of  living, 
and  the  small  amount  contributed  to  Missionary-objects.  Such 
arguments  are  more  calculated  to  offend  than  to  conciliate. 
What  shall  be  said  of  the  frightful  statistical  tables,  pinned 
to  the  walls  in  white,  black,  and  red,  colours,  showing  the 
preponderant  number  of  Heathens,  and  the  paucity  of  Christians  ? 
tall  stately  columns  represent  the  non-Christian  world,  and  a 
mere  ninepin  the  Christian.  The  danger  is,  lest  the  sceptic 
should  turn  the  argument  round,  and  say,  *'  Here  we  are  in  the 
**  Nineteenth  Century  of  the  Christian  era,  and  not  only  have 
**  we  gained  no  ground,  but  we  have  lost,  and  the  Mahometan 
**  Religion  is  seven  hundred  years  later  in  date,  and  so  much 
**  more  successful,  and  a  whole  family  of  new  Religions  has 
*'  come  into  existence,  as  a  direct  consequence  of  the  contact 
"  of  the  Morality  of  the  Gospel,  with  the  Traditions  and 
"  Religious  Conceptions  of  the  Old-World-Faiths." 

Then  stupid  calculations  are  made  of  the  amount  of  people's 
income  and  their  subscriptions,  holding  them  up  to  a  kind  of 
obloquy.  What  becomes  of  the  right  hand  not  knowing  what 
the  left  has  given,  when  the  Deputation  wants  accurate 
information  of  what  each  man  does  ?  And  of  what  profit  is  the 
late  onslaught  on  the  so-called  "Titled  Classes"  ?  It  is  nothing 
new  (I  Cor.  i,  26).  It  is  a  miserable  alliance  with  Radical 
snobbism. 

Quiet,  undemonstrative  Christians  are  vexed  by  the  perpetual 
calls  on  them :  they  give  the  miserable  shilling  to  get  rid  of 
the  trouble ;  the  people,  who  go  about  with  cards,  are  a 
nuisance :  it  is  a  bad  phase  of  religious  life :  all,  who  are  in 
earnest,  set  apart  a  portion  of  their  income  ;  no  blessing  can 
accompany  money  given  without  any  heart,  just  to  get  out  of  the 
door  of  the  church,  or  assembly-room,  respectably.  It  turns  to 
dross  in  the  Treasury  of  the  Society,  and,  having  no  enduring 
blessing  in  it,  it  is  got  rid  of  in  the  pay  of  an  extra  Clerk,  in  the 
Railway-fares  of  the  Deputations,   or  the   first-class  steamer- 


(     143     ) 

passage  of  a  Negro.  It  might  just  as  well  have  been  left  in  the 
purses  of  the  contributors,  as  far  as  having  the  remotest  influence 
on  Evangelization.  The  list  of  subscribers,  given  in  such  detail 
in  the  Report,  doubling  its  bulk,  is  a  reproach  to  the  Christian 
Churches,  and  to  the  Christian  character  of  the  donors.  What 
can  they  want  to  see  their  names  in  print  for  ?  It  is  like  the 
trumpet  sounded  before  the  hypocrite,  when  he  gave  his  alms, 
condemned  by  our  Lord. 

Above  all  things  it  is  desirable  to  keep  the  actual  Pounds, 
Shillings,  and  Pence-view  in  the  background.  What  can  be 
more  depressing,  or  opposed  to  spirituality,  than  the  cries  from 
the  Platform,  as  at  a  gathering  in  Cumberland :  '*  Another  Ten 
Pound  Note  ;  another  Five  Pound  "  ;  and  so  on.  And  where  is 
boasting  }  It  is  excluded.  From  the  East,  and  the  West,  and 
the  South,  come  up  tidings  of  terrible  failures,  fearful  blots.  If 
the  enemy  knew  our  shortcomings,  as  well  as  our  friends,  where 
should  we  be  ?  I  am  afraid  to  express  my  own  feelings.  I  sub- 
stitute those  of  an  aged  friend  of  the  Church-Missionary-Society : 
"  It  is  not  easy  to  exaggerate  the  grandeur  of  the  opportunity, 
**  or  the  power  of  unfaithfulness.  To-day  we  must  do  the  work ; 
*•  to-morrow  will  be  too  late.  Let  us  realize  this  very  great 
"  opportunity,  and  so  go  forward.  God  grant,  that  these  things 
'•  may  be  brought  home  to  us  to-day,  and  that  we  may  go  forth 
"  from  this  hall  as  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord  himself, 
"  touched  with  the  flame  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  not  boasting  of 
**  what  we  have  done  ;  not  in  the  spirit  of  the  Ephesians  of  old, 
**  crying  aloud,  **  Great  is  the  Church-Missionary-Society"  ;  not 
**  boasting  of  our  crowded  platforms,  our  large  meetings,  our 
**  bountiful  subscriptions,  but  impressed  more  and  more  with 
**  the  thought,  that  very  much  more  yet  remaineth  to  be  possessed, 
"that  the  Fields  are  everywhere  white  unto  the  harvest,  and 
**  praying  that  God  will  quicken  our  halting  steps,  will  accept 
"  our  offerings,  and  arise  and  do  great  things  by  our  humble 
**  means  to  the  glory  of  His  Holy  Name." 

The  exposure  of  the  idols  of  the  poor  Heathen  to  be  laughed 
at,  of  curios  brought  from  foreign  countries,  of  children  dressed 
up  as  natives  of  the  East,  of  blind  old  men  brought  on  the 
platform  to  interest ;  such  things  are  thoroughly  wrong,  and  a 
secular  lecture  on  foreign  cities,  nations,  and  customs,  is  a 
serious  mistake.  The  object  of  Deputation-Addresses  is  to  warm 
up  the  feelings  of  supporters,  educate  a  Missionary-spirit,  correct 
mistaken  impressions  as  to  policy,  inform  those  interested  of 
progress,  evidence  sympathy  with  the  fallen  races,  and  to  do 
what  Paul  and  Barnabas  did  eighteen  centuries  ago  :  "  Rehearse 
all  that  God  had  done,  and  how  he  had  opened  the  door  of 
Faith  to  the  Gentiles." 

Great  restraint  should  be  maintained  on  the  Platform,  and  in 


(     144     ) 

the  Pulpit,  not  only  not  to  say  what  is  not  true,  but  to  abstain 
from  uttering  sheer  nonsense.  There  may  be  said  to  be  three 
objects  :  (i)  To  stimulate.  (2)  To  inform.  (3)  To  take  counsel. 
But  in  no  possible  case  to  talk  twaddle,  repeat  common-place 
expressions,  or  air  Quixotic  notions.  And  how  culpable  are 
those,  who  encourage  their  relations,  or  friends  in  a  country- 
town,  to  pass  frothy  resolutions  calling  for  Expeditions,  and 
Annexations,  and  Protectorates,  and  **  Jingo"  generally! 
Is  the  Gospel  of  Christ  to  be  preached  by  such  methods  ? 
We  are  a  great,  strong,  self-asserting,  arrogant,  Nation  ;  let  us 
restrict  those  qualities  to  our  Commercial,  and  Political,  trans- 
actions, and  conduct  our  Mission-work  as  simple  Christians  : 
we  can  expect  no  blessing  on  Gospel-teaching,  when  in  close 
contact  with  Calico-bales,  and  Rifles,  not  to  say  tuns  of  Liquor, 
cases  of  firearms,  barrels  of  gunpowder,  and  Maxim-guns,  as 
at  U-Ganda. 

No  subject  can  be  more  pregnant,  more  susceptible  of  varied 
treatment,  with  wider  scope,  furnishing  room  for  every  kind  of 
eloquence,  and  full  of  such  romantic  Poetry.  What  Epic  Poem 
of  ancient  or  modern  days  could  be  more  full  of  moving  scenes, 
and  varying  fortunes,  if  the  speaker  were  only  worthy  of  the 
subject  ?  A  spiritual  tone  should  dominate.  If  a  smile  be 
raised,  it  should  be  one  of  sympathy  and  love  towards  the 
Missionary,  and  the  poor  Heathen  people.  There  should  be  no 
rude  jokes,  or  depreciatory  remarks,  or  condemnation  of  great 
Governments,  denunciation  of  a  great  Commerce,  or  sneers  at 
rival  denominations.  The  heart  should  indeed  go  forth  towards 
the  poor  Heathen.  Their  rude  conceptions  of  a  Power  greater 
than  themselves  show,  that  God  has  not  left  Himself  without 
witness  in  their  hearts.  They  recognise  an  environment  of 
supernatural  agencies,  because  something  tells  them,  that  God 
is  very  near  them.  They  see  Him  in  their  blessings  and  their 
troubles,  and  they  try  to  propitiate  Him.  In  some  things  they 
are  better  than  we  are. 

Some  Deputation-speakers  try  to  get  up  a  Church-party- 
feeling,  or  to  make  a  hit  against  the  Nonconformists:  how 
unwise  and  un-Christian  it  is  to  do  so  on  such  an  occasion  as 
converting  the  Jew,  the  Mahometan,  or  the  Pagan.  Hear  what 
the  Bishop  of  Bombay  says : 

"Beware,  again,  of  that  miserable  so-called  humour,  which 
**  finds  in  the  conventionalities  of  a  religious  party  material  for 
'*  a  most  invidious  kind  of  sneering.  Suppose  that  it  be  ever  so 
*'  true,  that  the  phraseology  of  a  particular  school  of  goodness 
**  has  shown  a  tendency  to  become  uninvitingly  stereotyped  ; 
*•  that  we  have  acquired  certain  associations  with  certain  phrases, 
"  which  prejudice  us  against  those  who  make  use  of  them  ;  it- is 
**  still  true  that,  to  the  members  of  those  circles,  they  embody 


(     145     ) 

**  experiences  and  aspirations  among  the  noblest,  that  ever 
**  thrilled  human  bosoms.  In  the  training  of  those  whom  we 
*'  love,  and  in  the  expression  of  our  own  deepest  feelings,  let  us, 
•*  by  all  means,  employ  words  and  phrases,  which  are  free  from 
*'  the  savour  of  conventionality.  But  let  us  treat  with  the  most 
'*  reverent  respect  the  honoured  phrases,  which  helped  to  save 
"  the  Church  of  England  from  being  smothered  in  a  worse  con- 
*'  ventionality,  the  conventionality  of  sheer  deadness  and  in- 
"  difference.  If  you  associate  Missionary  -  effort  with  such 
'*  conventions,  then  ask  yourself  what  this  really  means.  It 
"  means,  that  Evangelicals  did  the  work,  when  others  stood 
**  still,  or  attempted  little.  If  it  be  associated  with  evangelical 
•*  conventionality,  it  was  at  least  done  by  evangelical  fervour. 
**  Let  us  respect  it  then  with  shame  for  our  own  shortcomings." 

Hear  what  a  Nonconformist  writer  says  on  this  subject: 

"  Much  also  depends  on  those,  who  speak  and  preach  on 
"  behalf  of  Missions.  The  sermons  should  be  far  more  what 
"  they  profess  to  be,  an  exposition  of  Missionary-principles,  a 
**  narration  of  Missionary-facts  and  incidents,  or  an  enforcement 
"  of  Missionary-motives  and  aspirations.  So  with  speeches 
**  great  care  should  be  taken  to  ascertain  what  kind  of 
"  information  is  most  useful  ;  and  the  trivial,  absurd,  and 
**  sensational,  should  be  altogether  eschewed.  Ministers  should 
*'  give  Missions  a  very  prominent  place  in  their  public  and 
**  private  teaching.  The  claims  of  God  to  universal  love  and 
*'  obedience ;  the  power  of  the  Gospel  to  give  eternal  life  to  the 
**  Heathen  ;  the  loving  desire  of  the  Saviour  for  a  larger  Empire 
"of  redeemed  and  happy  souls;  the  grandeur  of  prophetic 
**  hopes  and  anticipations ;  the  sad  state  of  the  Heathen,  and 
"  the  duty  of  Christians  to  do  their  utmost  to  bring  the  whole 
"  world  nearer  to  God,  all  justify  and  demand  a  large  share  of 
**  attention  in  the  pulpit.     The  great  cause  is  worthy  of: 

"  I.  A  Missionary-sermon  preached  once  a  quarter  by  every 
"  minister. 

"  2.  A  Missionary-Anniversary  in  every  place  of  worship. 

"  3.  A  monthly  Missionary-Prayer-meeting  in  every  Con- 
"  gregation. 

"4.  A  Missionary-magazine  taken  by  every  family. 

"  5.  A  weekly,  monthly,  quarterly,  or  annual  subscription 
**  from  every  Christian. 

**  6.  A  Missionary-box  in  every  house. 

"  7.  And  more  vigour  and  earnestness  thrown  into  all  that 
"  is  done. 

**  It  is  lamentable,  that  there  should  be  so  many  places  of 
**  worship,  where  the  duty  of  sending  the  Gospel  to  the  Heathen 
"is  in  no  way  recognised,  either  by  sermon,  anniversary,  or 
"  subscription.     I  believe  there  are  thousands  of  such  places, 

10 


(     146     ) 

**  hundreds  belonging  to  each  denomination,  where  no  annual 
**  meeting  is  held  and  no  sermon  preached.  Books  relating  to 
**  Missions  and  to  Heathen  countries  should  be  more  read. 

**  Great  responsibility  rests  on  Missionary-Societies.  The 
*'  degree  of  wisdom,  nobleness,  thrift,  and  efficiency,  with  which 
**  they  manage  their  affairs,  has  much  to  do  with  the  fervour  or 
"  langour  of  what  is  called  the  Missionary-spirit. 

**  Still  more  does  an  interest  in  Missions  depend  on  Mission- 
**  aries  themselves.  If  they  are  able,  wise,  zealous,  disinterested, 
**  and  successful,  attention  and  admiration  will  be  drawn  towards 
*'  their  work  as  well  as  towards  themselves." 

The  Church-Missionary-Society  in  1888  made  the  following 
suggestions :  *'  With  respect  to  Serjnons:  Is  it  not  possible  still 
*'  more  frequently  than  is  at  present  the  case,  either  by  an 
**  exchange  of  neighbouring  pulpits,  or  by  Incumbents  very 
**  kindly  pleading  for  the  cause  themselves,  to  lighten  the  call 
**  on  Salisbury  Square  ?  The  Committee  feel  assured,  that  they 
*'  will  carry  with  them  the  opinion  of  many  of  their  supporters, 
**  when  they  express  the  confident  belief,  that  nothing  tends, 
**  under  the  Divine  blessing,  more  effectually  to  evoke  hearty 
*•  sympathy  from  a  congregation  than  by  the  Vicar  being 
**  prepared  from  time  to  time  himself  to  plead  the  cause  of 
**  Foreign  Missions. 

**  With  reference  to  Meetings :  In  conjunction  with  their 
**  Association-Secretaries,  the  Committee  feel,  that  more  might 
"  be  done  to  encourage  Clergy  and  Laity  carefully  to  prepare 
*•  Lectures  on  Missionary  subjects  of  their  own  selection,  which 
"  could  be  delivered  by  them  in  various  neighbouring  parishes 
*•  in  co-operation  with  the  local  Clergy." 

I  have  been  for  the  last  fifteen  years  constantly  on  deputa- 
tions at  my  own  charges  in  every  part  of  England,  and  in 
Dublin,  for  different  Societies  :  it  has  always  suited  me  best 
to  put  up  at  hotels  on  account  of  the  state  of  my  health,  and 
my  custom  of  taking  my  work  and  books  with  me  so  as  not 
to  lose  time  in  a  strange  house  as  a  guest.  I  cannot  imagine 
any  employment  more  dear  to  the  heart  than  speaking  for 
a  Missionary-Society,  or  the  Bible-Society.  I  have  certainly 
heard  much,  of  which  I  did  not  approve,  and  sometimes 
what  I  thoroughly  condemned,  such  as  abuse  of  the  poor 
Heathen  races,  their  religious  beliefs  spoken  of  in  terms  of 
derision,  and  perhaps  their  objects  of  worship  exposed  to  be 
laughed  at :  how  a  Mahometan  audience  would  laugh,  and 
poke  fun  at  the  Reredos  of  St.  Paul's,  or  the  mitre  of  a  Bishop  ! 
All  this  is  most  unworthy.  The  principles  of  Missions,  and 
the  Duty,  can  be  inculcated  by  the  Incumbent  from  his  pulpit, 
but  how  is  he  to  supply  his  audience  with  interesting  facts, 
or  accounts  of  the  progress  of  the  movement }    A  Missionary, 


(     147     ) 

a  skilled  Deputation-Secretary,  or  some  one,  who  has  studied 
the  subject,  is  required.  I  have  published  Essays  on  certain 
views  of  the  subject,  and  have  received  the  thanks  of  (to  me) 
unknown  Clergy,  as  they  have  been  able  from  those  pages  to 
prepare  themselves  for  the  pulpit ;  so  really  volumes  of  Normal 
addresses,  or  reprints  of  esteemed  addresses  by  good  speakers, 
are  what  is  absolutely  required  by  the  country-clergy.  I  have 
listened  to  addresses  from  Missionaries,  Deputations,  and  local 
friends,  which  were  simply  admirable  in  tone  and  style,  and 
holy  fervour.  Nothing  has  surprised  me  more  than  the  strong 
feeling  exhibited  in  the  Public  Press,  and  at  Meetings,  against 
Deputations :  many  unkind  things  have  been  said  on  both  sides, 
and  clearly  the  matter  requires  looking  into.  The  expense,  in- 
curred by  the  Society,  is  indeed  enormous,  in  addition  to  the 
kind  hospitality  offered  in  the  locality :  the  attendance  at  some 
meetings,  when  the  room  is  filled  with  children  of  the  village- 
schools,  is  disheartening.  The  whole  subject  is  an  anxious  one. 
I  heard  last  week  of  a  meeting  held  in  a  lady's  house,  who  had 
invited  the  audience,  on  behalf  of  the  China-Inland-Mission  : 
The  whole  tone  of  the  speaker,  a  returned  Missionary,  was 
reprehensible :  he  began  by  describing  in  ridiculous  terms 
the  dress  worn  by  the  Bible-Society's  agent,  whose  only  fault 
was,  that  he  wore  the  English  dress  of  his  country,  while  the 
Missionary  and  his  friends  were  got  up  with  pig-tails  as  Chinese. 
He  then  enlarged  on  the  Opium-Traffic,  with  which  he  had  no 
concern,  as  he  worked  in  a  Province,  in  which  the  Poppy  was 
grown  to  a  great  extent,  and  at  any  rate  there  was  no  demand 
for  the  foreign  drug :  he  then  abused  the  Chinese  Government, 
and  the  Chinese  people  :  if  that  kind  of  person  is  a  sample,  can 
we  wonder  that  there  is  a  restlessness  in  the  Empire  of  China, 
which  may  some  day  eventuate  in  the  expulsion  of  all  Mis- 
sionaries from  China  ?  Great  Britain  is  not  likely  to  go  to  war 
on  such  a  subject. 

4.  The  Financial  Department. 

"  Trust  in  the  Lord,  and  keep  your  powder  dry,'*  were  the 
marching  orders  of  the  Puritan  soldier :  it  is  the  same  with  us 
now.  The  Treasury  of  the  Lord  is  always  overflowing,  but, 
as  there  is  a  principle  of  divine  Economy  in  the  supply  of  good 
things  to  God's  poor  children,  so  a  human  Economy  should  be 
exerted  in  the  disbursements :  that  is  the  blot  of  the  great 
Missionary-Associations.  I  have  taken  a  share  in  the  control 
of  the  Income  and  Expenditure  of  vast  Provinces  far  exceeding 
those  of  a  Missionary-Association  :  I  call  the  present  system 
extravagant,  and  I  mean  what  I  say,  and  I  know  what  I  mean. 

The  Annual  Reports  of  the  great  Societies  speak  for  them- 
selves.    There  is  no  insinuation  of  carelessness,  or  absence  of  a 


(     148     ) 

proper  system  of  accounts,  or  any  possible  malversation.  There 
is  a  continuous  audit  by  professional  auditors  from  the  outside, 
and  a  Committee  of  Inquiry  would  have  very  little  to  discover, 
as  all  is  above-board,  and  unpaid  lay  Committees  are  very  much 
in  earnest,  and  have  great  experience  of  human  affairs,  and  are 
terribly  outspoken  ;  but  everything  is  done  in  much  too  ex- 
pensive a  style,  just  like  a  Government-Office,  which  has  the 
purse  of  the  British  taxpayers  behind  it.  Anything  more  ridicu- 
lous than  paying  first-class-steamer-passages  for  Negro  Mission- 
aries, the  sons  of  redeemed  Slaves,  and  for  Englishmen  in 
extremely  humble  positions  of  life,  cannot  be  imagined.  In  my 
travels,  I  have  often  found  the  Italian,  or  Spanish,  or  French, 
Romish  Priest  stretched  out  on  the  deck,  as  a  third-class  pas- 
senger, but  the  Protestant  Negro  must  go  first-class  :  this  is  a  fair 
sample.  The  expenses  with  regard  to  the  wives  and  children 
of  the  Missionaries  are  enormous  :  the  country-clergyman  with 
a  large  family  must  feel  surprise,  and  a  certain  amount  of  envy. 
The  luxuriousness,  and  indulgence,  of  the  nineteenth  Century 
have  caused  this,  and  I  am  bound  to  say,  that  signs  of  the  same 
evil  are  not  wanting  in  all  secular  establishments,  where  the 
funds  are  provided  by  the  State,  or  the  County,  or  the  Parish, 
and  not  by  the  person  himself.  What  is  required  is  not  the  Faith- 
Mission,  or  the  Brotherhood,  or  the  Common  Fund,  or  the 
Haphazard,  or  the  **  Root,  Hog,  or  die  "  systems,  but  a  stern, 
economic,  and  fearless,  administration  of  our  sacred  funds,  re- 
minding the  Missionaries,  that  the  Committee  will  not  tolerate 
luxuries,  or  indulgences,  or  pride,  or  waste,  and  expects  self- 
sacrifice,  and  self-consecration,  and  self-control,  on  their  part.  This 
would  set  free  large  sums  for  the  entertainment  of  additional 
Agents. 

I  am  glad  to  chronicle  symptoms  of  this  feeling  in  the  Field. 
Instances  occur,  where  the  Missionary  has,  in  the  presence  of 
the  Home-Committee,  offered  to  share  his  subsistence-allowance 
with  another,  assuring  us,  that  his  expenses  fell  short  of  his 
supply :  invitations  have  come  home  to  send  out  men  on  sixty 
Rupees  per  mensem,  or  ^^70  per  annum:  all  Missionaries  should 
contribute  as  much  as  they  can  from  their  private  means  to  their 
own  support,  and  draw  as  little  as  possible  on  the  sacred  funds. 

Still  more  discouraging  is  the  lavish  expenditure  on  Clerks, 
and  offices.  Anyone,  who  thinks,  that  a  Missionary-Society 
can  work  by  an  automatic  process,  without  Secretaries,  or,  in 
other  words,  an  Executive,  might  believe,  that  a  cart  would  move 
along  the  road  without  wheels  ;  but  there  ought  to  be  found  men 
in  Great  Britain,  of  independent  circumstances,  and  good  training, 
whose  health  would  not  permit  them  to  venture  on  the  foreign 
Field,  and  yet  who  could  do  the  work  of  Secretary  gratuitously, 
and  men  of  that  stamp  are  found,  and  more  should  be  looked  for* 


(     149     ) 

If  we  believe  anything,  we  must  believe  the  words  contained 
in  the  opening  pages  of  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Com- 
mittee-Meetings, that  "the  Silver  and  Gold  is  of  the  Lord"  :  I 
follow  this  out  logically :  When  the  Lord  assigns  to  a  Society 
a  certain  income,  it  is  because  that  it  is  all,  that  He  deems, 
that  the  Society  can  properly  spend.  He  speaks  by  years  of 
Drought  as  well  as  years  of  Plenty :  by  Seasons  of  Abundance 
as  well  as  by  Seasons  of  Retrenchment.  Both  are  blessings  in 
disguise.  He  is  often  quoted  as  sending  '*  open  doors,"  but, 
unless  He  sends  the  means  also,  the  message  is  not  clear,  and, 
when  he  sends  "a  closed  door,"  the  Committee  should  accept 
it,  without  appealing  to  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh.  He  sent  ravens 
to  Elijah,  but  He  also  filled  their  heaks  with  food  to  feed  the 
Prophet.  The  cruse  of  oil  did  not  fail,  but  the  supply  was 
limited  to  the  legitimate  expenditure  of  the  widow,  not  to 
encourage  her  to  increased  outlay  beyond  her  actual  wants.  He 
expects  us  to  serve  Him  to  the  utmost  of  our  Talents,  whatever 
He  may  have  lent  to  us,  but  not  beyond  our  Talents.  It  is 
unwisdom,  as  well  as  a  want  of  appreciation  of  the  teaching 
of  His  Government  of  the  World,  to  be  sending  out  repeated 
special  appeals  for  funds,  and  calling  for  fresh  supplies,  instead 
of  making  the  most  economical  possible  use  of  funds  already 
supplied.  Sums  collected  in  pennies  are  heedlessly  wasted. 
Those,  who  support  Missions,  have  a  right  to  insist  upon  the 
most  rigid  economy.  It  is  not  because  a  Society  is  large  and 
rich,  that  it  should  waste  its  resources. 

The  Society  should  treat  its  Missionaries,  as  a  wise  Govern- 
ment treats  its  soldiers  in  a  foreign  campaign,  and  something 
more.  In  these  days  of  heroic  Missions  care  should  be  taken 
to  alleviate  the  danger,  and  the  risk,  and  the  hardship,  and 
the  suffering,  by  every  human  appliance  of  Art  and  Science. 
Nothing  is  so  useless  as  a  sick  Missionary :  nothing  so  sad  as  a 
dead  one,  if  his  precious  life  could  have  been  preserved  by 
human  forethought.  It  is  false  economy,  it  is  wickedness,  not 
to  make  provision,  which  will  anticipate  sufferings.  There  is 
much  sense  in  Henry  Stanley's  remarks,  the  comments  on  which 
in  a  religious  Periodical  I  quote : 

**  We  trust  the  Committee  will  give  due  attention  to  the  sug- 
"  gestions  of  Mr.  Stanley,  and  warn  and  instruct  the  young  men 
"  they  send  out  to  temper  zeal  with  discretion,  and  to  work 
**  prudently,  that  they  may  live  to  work  for  many  years.  Mis- 
"  sionaries  are  commissioned  to  evangelize  the  world,  and  to  do 
"  this  they  must  live.  We  think  a  Missionary  in  his  grave  is 
**  worth  more  than  Mr.  Stanley  apparently  imagined ;  but  he  is 
**  unquestionably  worth  much  more  to  the  world  alive  than  dead, 
**  and,  therefore,  we  trust,  that  all  possible  care  will  be  taken  to 
'*  preserve  the  precious  lives  of  the  young  brethren." 


(      150     ) 

The  question  of  subsistence-allowances,  pensions,  provision 
for  children  and  widows,  should  be  approached  in  a  wise  and 
fatherly  spirit.  The  Missionary-Agent  should  be  freed  from 
worldly  anxiety :  he  does  not  desire  profit,  or  savings  like  a 
worldlin.o-,  but  he  must  be  made  to  feel,  that  those,  whom  he 
loves,  will  be  provided  for:  he  is  ready  to  undergo  peril  by  land 
and  by  sea,  to  suffer  hardship  like  a  good  soldier,  but  he  should 
not  be  cut  off  from  proper  sustenance  of  every  kind.  Many 
have  sunk  under  rude  trials,  which  might  have  been  avoided,  or 
have  had  to  fly  for  their  lives.  The  Home-Committee  is  to 
blame,  when  any  precaution  is  neglected.  Those,  who  take  out 
a  large  party  of  men,  women,  and  children,  into  a  foreign 
country,  without  a  certain  provision  of  money,  and  reasonable 
comforts,  are  to  be  heavily  condemned.  Just  as  the  Missionary 
receives  no  salary,  properly  so  called,  but  only  enough  to  sustain 
his  physical  wants,  and  enable  him  to  apply  his  intellectual  and 
spiritual  gifts  to  the  Lord's  work,  so  there  should  be  found  at 
home  in  this  rich  country,  men  ready  to  consecrate  their  time 
and  talents  for  the  glory  of  God  without  seeking  profit,  without 
necessity  of  maintenance.  In  some  Societies  there  is  a  very 
cheap  administration,  owing  to  the  amount  of  voluntary  Service 
supplied:  all  the  Committee-men's  work  is  voluntary,  and  gratui- 
tous, but  the  Executive  should  be  supplied  by  Volunteers  also. 
The  only  remedy  is  to  rule,  that  every  shilling  collected  for 
Mission-purposes  should  go  to  Missionajy-work  out  of  the  country y 
without  any  deduction.  A  separate  Fund  should  be  raised  from 
the  Friends  of  the  Mission,  for  the  office-expenses,  or  rather  to 
supplement  what  cannot  be  supplied  by  voluntary  labour.  The 
time  may  be  near  at  hand,  when  contributors  of  money  to  con- 
vert the  Heathen  will  label  their  contributions : 

"  Not  a  sixpence  of  mine  to  go  to  maintain  a  Children's 
"  Home,  or  the  outfit  of  the  wife  of  a  Missionary  under  ten 
**  years'  service,  or  the  first-class  passage  of  a  Negro  Missionary, 
''  or  an  office-Clerk's  extra  pay." 

The  laxness  of  expenditure  in  the  Home-Committee  leads  to 
laxness  of  expenditure  in  the  Field.  The  foolish  attempt  is 
made  to  elevate  the  Asiatic,  African,  or  South  Sea  Islander  to  a 
platform,  socially  above  his  Heathen  relations,  because  he  is  a 
Christian.  We  have  no  Apostolic  sanction  for  this,  and  it  is 
a  deadly  mistake.  The  Religion  of  Christ  has  no  relation  what- 
ever to  the  social  culture,  or  civilization,  of  the  convert.  In 
the  early  Missions  of  Christianity  there  was  comparatively  little 
difference  in  respect  of  culture  and  civilization,  betwixt  the 
preacher  of  the  Gospel,  and  those,  to  whom  he  preached. 
They  ate  and  drank  the  same  food,  and  were  clothed  in  a 
similar  manner.  Paul  worked  among  men  not  inferior  to  him- 
self, and  he  moved  among  them  as  an  equal.     In  the  Middle 


(     151      ) 

Ages  and  the  time  of  Columba  of  lona,  as  regards  all  things, 
that  represented  Civilization,  there  was  little  difference  betwixt 
the  Missionary  and  his  convert.  But  the  modern  Missionary- 
has  to  work  among  races  undoubtedly  inferior,  and  lower  in 
culture.  This  is  owing  to  the  enormous  advance  of  European 
culture,  and  it  often  proves  a  great  snare  to  the  Missionary,  and 
generates  pride,  arrogance,  and  self-assertion.  He  is  led  on  to 
another  snare,  the  attempt  to  introduce  a  higher  social  Civiliza- 
tion among  his  converts.  This  may  come  in  its  own  time,  and 
probably  will  come,  but  Conversion  should  be  his  object,  and  he 
should  be  cautious  not  to  introduce  new  and  expensive  habits 
and  wants. 

The  most  depressing  thought  is,  that  of  the  vast  sums  spent 
in  Secretaries,  Clerks,  Warehouses,  postage,  and  parcels, 
Stationery,  Printing,  Rent,  first-class  Steamer  and  Railway- 
fares,  and  the  needlessly  liberal  way,  in  which  such  charges 
are  incurred,  because  a  great  Society  pays  for  them.  My  thoughts 
go  back  to  the  sums  collected  at  Corinth  for  the  poor  Saints  at 
Jerusalem,  and  Paul,  the  poor  prisoner  of  the  Lord,  conveying 
it  in  the  undecked  vessel  of  that  period.  I  remember  his  tender 
advice  to  have  the  collections  made  in  advance,  and  fancy  con- 
jures up  the  image  of  the  earthen  pot,  or  wooden  casket,  filled 
with  denarii  and  sestertia,  bearing  the  image  of  one  of  the  early 
Caesars,  which  was  reverently  consigned  to  him,  and  my  heart 
sinks  within  me  at  the  thought  of  the  frightfully  complicated 
Organizations  forced  upon  us  by  the  iQth  Century,  the  flogging 
of  the  congregations  to  get  at  their  money,  and  the  men,  like 
Judas,  going  about  holding  the  bag.  Happy  are  those,  whose 
admitted  Poverty  enables  them  to  laugh  at  the  plate,  pushed 
under  their  nose,  and  happier  still  are  those,  who  have,  at  the 
beginning  of  each  year,  set  apart  the  proper  proportion  of  their 
Income,  and  been  cheerful  givers  to  the  Lord,  who  bought 
them,  and  made  their  contribution  in  advance.  My  remarks 
may  seem  cynical,  but  they  are  offered  in  good  faith,  and  with 
a  large  experience,  and  long  reflection. 

Benevolent  men  outside  Missionary-circles  indulge  in  the 
same  liberal  thoughts,  and  spend  beyond  their  means  on  pur- 
poses beyond  the  scope  of  the  Constitution  of  their  Association: 
I  quote  one  instance : 

"As  regards  the  past  action  of  the  Board  we  find  evidence, 
"  that  some  questionable  work  has  been  done,  and  that  ex- 
"  penses  have  been  incurred  on  schemes  not  strictly  within 
"■  the  Board's  statutable  powers.  The  matter  has  been  forced 
*'  on  the  attention  of  the  members  in  the  most  unpleasant  way 
"  possible.  Some  items  in  the  Board's  accounts  have  been 
"  disallowed  by  the  Government-Auditor,  and  the  sums  so  dealt 
"  with  have  been  surcharged  on  the  members,  by  whose  authority 


(     152     ) 

"  they  were  paid.  The  Board,  it  appears,  has  established  six 
"  cookery-centres,  at  which  instruction  has  been  given  not  only 
**  to  children  at  the  Board-Schools,  but  to  assistant  cookery- 
"  teachers  and  ex-pupil  teachers.  The  cost  of  these  centres 
*'  has  therefore  been  legitimate  in  part,  as  far,  that  is  to  say,  as 
"  it  has  been  on  account  of  instruction  to  school-children. 
**  The  Auditor's  objection  has  been  to  the  remaining  portion." 

Here  the  blot  is  hit :  there  has  been  no  misappropriation,  no 
vulgar  jobbery  or  stealing:  spiritual  men  are  not  liable  to  such 
frailties :  at  least  I  have  never  detected  the  least  sign  of  such 
tendencies  in  Missionary-circles,  though  1  have  seen  them  very 
clearly  in  Secular  Boards :  The  money  is  voted  by  competent 
authority,  and  reaches  the  proper  quarter,  but 

"  Qui  custodiet  ipsos  custodes  .?'* 
The  proper  Authority  under  the  influence  of  Faith,  Emotion, 
Enthusiasm,  spends  more  money  than  it  has,  spends  it  on  objects 
outside  the  one  sole  object  to  **  bring  souls  to  Christ,"  erects  a 
palace  for  the  Home  of  Missionary-children,  who  really  ought 
never  to  have  come  into  existence  ;  trains  at  considerable  expense 
men  for  the  Field,  who,  when  the  health  of  their  wives  fails,  or 
something  better  offers,  turn  their  back  on  the  plough  ;  gives 
life-pensions,  not  to  veterans,  who  well  deserve  it,  but  to  those, 
who  do  not  deserve  it  at  all,  or  have  never  been  in  the  Field. 
What  is  wanted  is  some  one  analogous  to  the  Government- 
Auditor,  who,  in  the  case  quoted  above,  disallows  the  expenditure 
of  the  Secular  Board,  some  one  who  will  disallow  the  heedless, 
improper  votes  of  a  Missionary-Committee,  constituted  as  in 
previous  Sections  I  have  described,  and  worked,  or  rather 
coerced,  by  an  overweening  Secretary. 

We  hear  in  Committee  the  cuckoo-cry,  "  Never  refuse  the 
offer  of  services  of  a  candidate"  :  get  the  money,  if  you  can,  to 
support  him  :  if  not,  make  a  dark  Prophecy  about  Faith.  I  give 
the  following  from  the  pages  of  the  Rock^  1894  : 

**  The  Intelligencer  has  the  following  reminder  and  warning : 
**  It  should  be  distinctly  understood,  and  we  hope  it  will  be 
••  fully  realized,  that  the  Society  has  literally  no  money  to  send 
**  out  the  great  majority  of  these  new  Missionaries.  That  is  to 
"  say,  supposing  not  one  of  them  went  out,  there  is  no  reason 
**  whatever,  judging  in  the  only  way  man  can  judge,  by  God's 
**  dealings  with  us  in  the  past  few  years,  to  expect,  that  the  con- 
"  tributions  of  the  year  would  even  then  cover  the  expenditure 
**  of  the  year.  The  Intelligencer  will  not  be  suspected  of  forget- 
"  ting  how  God  honours  Faith.  It  has  for  some  years  taken  a  line 
*'  on  this  subject,  which  many  of  our  friends  have  regarded  as  in 
"  advance  of  their  convictions.  And  if  we  could  see  any  signs 
*'  that  the  Church-Missionary-Society-circle  as  a  whole,  or  any 
*'  large  part  of  it,  were  deliberately  facing  the  position  in  a  spirit 


(     153     ) 

*  of  unfaltering  Faith,  we  should  not  have  a  moment's  apprehen- 
'  sion.    But  it  seems  to  us,  that  only  a  small  minority  are  thinking 

*  of  it  at  all,  and  that  the  tendency  is  to  drift  along  listlessly  and 
'  expect,  that  the  Society  will  get  through  all  right  somehow. 
'  But  that  is  not  Faith.  It  is  a  fatalism,  which  may  almost  be  said 
'  to  challenge  God  to  give  it  a  sharp  awakening.  We  said  *  the 
'great  majority.'  We  did  not  say  *  all.'  For  (i)  a  few  are 
'  honorary,  and  (2)  some  of  our  friends,  who  really  are  awake, 
'  are  adopting  the  suggestions  made  by  us  in  July,  and  in  the 
'  official  appeal  that  accompanied  our  August  number,  and  are 

*  either  undertaking  themselves,  or  getting  their  local  circles 
'  to  undertake,  the  entire  maintenance  of  a  particular  Missionary. 

*  A  few  of  the  new  recruits  are  already  provided  for  in  this 

*  way." 

Could  the  great  Societies  but  break  with  the  past,  there  is  a 
better  way.  Hear  the  practice  of  the  Universities'  Mission  to 
E.  Africa :  **  The  Bishop  is  quite  unable  to  offer  any  induce- 
*•  ment  in  the  way  of  salary,  or  periodical  holidays,  or  ultimate 
*'  pension,  or  temporal  advantage  of  any  kind :  it  is  necessary, 
"  that  those,  who  join  the  Mission,  should  do  so  with  the  sole 
**  desire  to  live  for,  and  willingness  to  die,  for  their  work,  because 
*'  it  is  Christ's.  He  offers  to  those,  who  may  need  it,  the  help  of 
"  Board,  Lodging,  and  necessaries  during  their  stay  in  Africa." 

In  the  life  of  Bishop  Steere,  I  read :  "  At  the  present  time  not 
**  one  of  the  Members  of  the  Bishop's  staff  in  Africa  is  receiving 
**  any  stipend  beyond  the  moderate  allowance  of  /  20  per  annum, 
**  for  clothes,  etc. ;  all  other  necessaries  are  provided  from  the 
**  common  fund  of  the  Mission."  Thus,  rich  and  poor  live  and 
work  together  on  equal  terms.  All  the  Missionaries  are  celi- 
bates :  women  Missionaries  are  not  admitted  below  the  age  of 
thirty.  .  This  Mission  belongs  to  the  High-Church  party,  and  is 
doing  good  work. 

The  China-Inland-Mission  is  in  the  Antipodes  to  the  above 
as  regards  Church-Government  and  Doctrine.  Hudson  Taylor 
thus  formulates  his  principles :  **  Some  have  gone  out  at  their 
**  own  expense :  the  rest  have  gone  out  under  a  clear  under- 
'*  standing,  that  the  Mission  does  not  guarantee  any  income 
"  whatever,  and  knowing,  that  as  the  Mission  does  not  run  into 
**  debt,  it  can  only  minister  to  those  connected  with  it  as  far  as 
**  the  funds  allow :  in  other  words,  they  have  gone  out  in 
"  dependence  upon  God  for  their  temporal  supplies." 

Again :  "  The  China-Inland-Mission  accepts  suitable  can- 
"  didates,  whether  possessed  of  private  means,  or  not :  those, 
"  who  need  it,  are  assisted  in  their  outfits,  have  their  passage- 
"  money  provided  them,  and  have  funds  remitted  to  them  from 
**  time  to  time,  as  the  supplies  come  in.  God,  in  a  very  special 
**  way,  is  the  Treasurer  of  the  Missionary,  and  ^0  Him  they  look^ 


(      154     ) 

**  not  to  the  Mission.  Hitherto  He  has  supplied,  and  henceforth 
*' He  will  do  the  same.     1888." 

The  North-African-Mission,  and  the  East  London-Institute, 
are  conducted  on  similar  principles ;  the  latter  makes  the 
following  appeal,  1888:  *'  This  state  of  things  would  make  us 
**  anxious,  but  that  we  gratefully  and  trustfully  remember  the 
*'  long  years,  during  which  our  large  households,  though  like  the 
**  birds  without  storehouse  or  barn,  have  been  fed  day  by  day, 
"  and  had  every  need  supplied." 

Again  I  read  :  *'  The  Mission -Board  of  the  Free  Methodists 
"  show  much  interest  in  Foreign  Missions,  and  the  Church 
**  is  increasing  its  contributions,  but  the  Board  guarantees  no 
•*  salary  to  anyone,  only  a  portion  to  the  different  Missions, 
'*  which  the  Church  contributes;  so  that  each  Missionary  is 
**  independent,  using  what  comes  as  the  Providence  of  God, 
"  and  planning  for  self-support  as  soon  as  possible." 

A  Member  of  the  Universities'  Mission  to  Calcutta  puts  the 
matter  very  bluntly:  "  A  Hindu  asked  me,  how  we  lived,  as  we 
*•  had  no  '  talab '  (the  well-known  Urdu  word  for  'salary'):  I 
'*  told  him,  that  we  lived  chiefly  by  begging  :  from  a  professional 
"  beggar  no  apology  was  needed.  The  very  object  of  a  Native 
**  Catechist,  or  Teacher,  or  Pastor,  is  to  get  a  *  talab.'  " 

I  shall  notice  the  Organization  of  such  Missions  in  Cap.  V,  but 
I  look  at  the  question  now  financially  in  this  chapter.  None  of 
these  Missions  have  yet  had  the  experience  of  fifty  years  :  in  due 
course  there  will  be  a  survival  of  aged  men,  and  women,  who 
cannot  be  allowed  to  starve,  when  there  is  no  more  work  in 
them.  Staunch  as  I  am  (see  Cap.  VI)  against  the  premature 
Marriage  of  Missionaries  below  the  age  of  33  or  thereabouts,  I 
cannot  give  my  adhesion  to  Missionary-celibacy  for  life,  and 
therefore  there  must  be  widows  and  orphans.  No  Mercantile 
Association,  no  Government,  can  live  from  hand  to  mouth 
without  running  the  risk  of  great  disaster,  and  exposing 
innocent  persons  to  tremendous  suffering.  Though  a  rigid 
economist,  I  have  still  the  feelings  of  a  Statesman,  or  even  of  a 
lower  type  **  Genus  Homo."  The  alternative  is,  that  there  must 
be  forethought  and  provision  for  the  survivors  of  the  Lord's 
battles.     The  lives  of  these  veterans  must  be  insured. 

The  Committees  are  always  putting  forth  appeals,  drawing  on 
the  Bank  of  Faith  and  Hope,  suggesting,  as  in  a  paper  now 
on  my  table,  that  the  Members  of  the  Committee  should  make 
up  the  deficiency  of /"i 5, 000:  certainly  one  or  two  of  the 
Secretaries,  and  one  or  two  of  the  Members,  and  the  careless 
voters,  who  voted  without  knowing  what  they  were  voting  for, 
might  be  expected  to  contribute  freely  to  fill  up  the  hole,  which 
their  own  recklessness  had  made:  one  extremely  transcendental 
Member  whispered  once  in  my  ear :  *'  why  make  such  a  fuss 


(     155     ) 

about  getting  in  filthy  money  ?  Go  into  your  closet,  and  pray 
to  God  to  send  it."  I  agree  with  him,  but  add  the  condition, 
that  the  Committee  should  be  satisfied  with  the  amount,  which 
the  Lord  has  provided,  and  make  use  of  its  talents,  but  not 
beyond  its  talents.     "  Quo  plus  habeant  eo  plus  cupiunt." 

Think  of  such  a  notice  as  this  being  sent  from  Harley-House, 
Bow  :  "  Accept  our  heartiest  gratitude,  dear  Friends  and 
**  fellow-helpers  in  this  work,  for  all  the  valued  sympathy  and 
**  confidence  you  have  given  us  these  many  years,  and  we  would 
**  very  earnestly  add,  under  the  present  pressure  of  heavy 
**  financial  strain  as  regards  our  general  work,  do  continue  to  us 
"  the  kind  and  liberal  co-operation,  without  which  our  efforts 
"  must  needs  be  sadly  crippled  1  With  more  work  in  hand,  and 
"  with  a  larger  number  of  students  than  we  ever  had  before,  we 
"  have  not  at  this  moment  the  means  to  meet  a  single  week's 
**  expenses,  but  have  to  look  up  for  daily  bread.  You  will  not 
*'  wonder  when  I  say,  that  we  trust  that  you  will  be  able  to  respond 
"  to  this  letter  with  even  more  than,  your  customary  liberality  1  " 

I  once  had  a  letter  telling  me,  that  the  members  of  an 
Institution  had,  for  want  of  funds,  left  oflf  eating  meat,  and  taken 
to  vegetables  :  and  another  sent  a  brief  Postcard,  "Nothing  in 
the  locker."  Why  not  send  a  cart  round,  as  in  Italy,  into  which 
householders  may  fling  old  clothes,  food,  and  jewellery  out  of 
fashion,  or  go  round  like  Buddha  in  India  with  a  bowl,  and 
collect  daily  scraps  1  All  such  carelessness  of  Finance  is  out  of 
touch  with  the  spirit,  the  honest  healthy  spirit,  of  the  nineteenth 
Century.  Spend  what  you  have,  and  neither  accumulate,  nor 
forestall.  A  Missionary-Institution  should  be  conducted  with 
the  same  propriety,  forethought,  and  restraint,  as  the  families 
of  the  Members  of  that  Committee  :  I  cannot  help  thinking, 
that  the  next  generation  wilf  take  a  different  view  of  this  subject, 
and  pass  a  severe  and  not  undeserved  censure  on  the  conduct  of 
this  generation.  Members  of  the  Committee  would  be  ashamed 
to  adopt  the  course  in  their  own  affairs,  which  they  abet  in  the 
aflfairs  of  the  Association. 

It  is  the  same  sanguine,  reckless  spirit,  which  ruins  secular 
companies.  It  is  true,  that  the  Lord  can  make  jewels  at  His 
pleasure  out  of  common  stones  :  He  could  in  past  ages  sanctify 
the  labour  of  the  Shepherd-Boy,  the  Fisherman,  and  the  Collector 
of  Taxes,  and  in  these  times  the  labour  of  the  Cobbler,  the 
Gardener,  the  Shopkeeper,  the  Domestic  Servant,  and  bless  with 
success  enterprises  commenced  in  defiance  of  the  precepts  of 
worldly  wisdom  :  "  Not  by  might,  not  by  power,  but  My  spirit :  " 
yet  none  the  less  are  we  bound  to  offer  our  best,  our  talents,  our 
experience,  our  careful  thoughts,  our  words  boldly  expressed,  our 
writings  fearlessly  indited,  our  zeal  controlled  by  prudence, 
following  the   example   of  Paul,    Columba,    Columbanus,   and 


(     156     ) 

Boniface,  and  many  a  Saint  of  the  Protestant  Church,  and  of  the 
great  Church  of  Rome,  who  rise  before  us  as  an  example  of 
entire  self-sacrifice. 

There  is  an  objection  to  large  overgrown  Associations  :  there 
is  a  vaunting  spirit,  as  of  all  rich  people,  a  desire  to  appear  well 
before  the  world :  *'  a  great  Committee  must  do  so."  It  is 
well  for  a  wealthy  British  Noble,  or  an  American  Millionaire, 
to  be  lavish  out  of  his  own  resources,  but  it  is  not  well  for  a 
Committee  to  be  lavish  out  of  the  sacred  store,  collected  in 
pennies  from  little  children  under  the  influence  of  prayer.  Each 
contributor  hopes,  that  his  obolus  will  do  something  better  in  the 
cause  of  Christ's  Kingdom  than  make  up  the  extra  pay  of  a  clerk 
in  the  Mission-House,  the  salary  of  an  additional  Secretary,  or 
the  pay  of  a  Deputation,  or  the  postage  and  printing  of  thousands 
of  .unnecessary  circulars,  the  outcome  of  the  brains  of  a  busybody. 
There  is  a  certain  amount  of  degradation  of  the  religious  and 
charitable  conscience  by  the  constant  appeals  for  money.  I 
have  enough  waste-paper  for  the  lighting  of  the  fires  of  my 
household  from  this  single  source.  "Ecce  iterum  Crispinus"  is 
the  cry :  something  pleasant  was  expected  to  emerge  from  the 
envelope,  but  it  proves  to  be  only  an  appeal  from  the  Church- 
Missionary-Society  to  make  up  a  deficit,  which  ought  never  to 
have  existed.  The  Missionary-spirit  has  spread  over  a  wider 
surface  of  the  population,  but  it  is  very  thin  indeed,  because  it 
is  presented  to  the  Public  with  some  of  the  attributes  of  the 
prospectus  of  a  great  Company,  or  the  allurements  of  an  ad- 
vertizing speciality. 

It  is  singular,  that  in  no  Missionary-Report  is  there  a  direct 
allusion  to  the  extraordinary  windfall,  that  has  come  to  all  Mis- 
sionary-Societies, which  have  Missions  in  India,  by  the  deprecia- 
tion of  Silver,  vulgarly  called  the  Fall  of  the  value  of  the  Rupee. 
The  Church-Missionary- Society  has  its  collection  made  in  Great 
Britain  in  gold,  but  has  to  provide  certain  sums  in  silver  in 
India,  say  800,000  Rupees  annually,  which  are  purchased  for 
^50,000,  leaving  a  profit  of  /^30,ooo.  On  careful  examination 
of  the  accounts,  and  the  price  of  the  Bills  of  Sale,  it  is  clear, 
that  the  amount  is  duly  credited,  but  while  thanks  are  offered 
for  so  many  trifles,  thanks  to  the  Dispenser  of  all  human 
blessings  might  be  expected  for  such  a  windfall :  how  long  will 
it  last  }    the  password  has  been,  "  Do  not  allude  to  it." 

I  think,  that  it  may  be  asserted,  that,  of  the  amounts  collected 
from  the  supporters  of  Missionary-Societies,  a  far  too  great  a 
percentage  never  gets  beyond  the  shores  of  England.  Speaking 
roughly  the  Church-Missionary-Society  retains  /'3o,ooo  annually, 
the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel/8,000,  the  London 
Missionary-Society  about  ^17,000,  and  so  on.  This  is  dreadful 
to  think  of.     In  1888  a  special  sub-Committee  of  seven  Clergy- 


(     157     ) 

men  and  Laymen  were  appointed  to  examine  into  the  Home- 
Expenditure  of  the  Church-Missionary-Society  :  they  were  un- 
doubtedly all  strong,  earnest,  and  well-informed  men  ;  they 
made  their  Report  April,  1888,  and  nothing  came  of  it,  except 
the  withdrawal  of  an  old  Editorial  Secretary  since  deceased. 
Of  course  this  was  a  point  gained,  but  much  more  might  have 
been  done,  if  it  had  not  been  the  interest  of  so  many  to  retain 
the  old  system.  I  am  afraid  to  give  figures,  because,  if  an  Angel 
from  Heaven  were  to  state  figures,  another  Angel  from  another 
place  would  challenge  their  correctness  :  The  totals  of  the 
Annual  Report  of  that  time  were  something  like  this  : 

£ 

Cost  of  children  of  Missionaries,  with  their 

Parents,  or  at  home  .  .  .       9,000 


Deputation  Staff" 

Administrative  Staff  at  Head-Quarters. 
Training  of  young  Missionaries 
Pensions  of  old  Missionaries  and  widows 


10,000 
4,900 
5,000 
7,000 


The  Recording  Angel  making  use  of  his  notes  taken  from 
the  Reports  writes  the  above  figures  :  if  the  Criticizing  Angel 
says  that  they  are  wrong,  let  him  substitute  the  actuals  :  I 
confess  my  errors  before  they  are  proved,  but  I  adhere  to  my 
thesis,  that  these  things  should  not  be,  that  they  are  symptoms 
of  the  dropsy  of  the  great  Association,  and  that  a  new  broom  is 
required.  If  a  Board  of  Guardians  were  to  attempt  unnecessary 
expenditure,  the  Local  Government-Board  would  come  down 
upon  them,  and  the  Government-Auditor  would  disallow  the 
items:  In  a  Bank,  or  a  Mercantile  House,  motives  of  self- 
interest,  and  the  intelligence  of  the  Manager,  secure  this 
supervision :  for  the  Missionary-Association  to  spend  a  quarter 
of  a  Million  annually  there  is  no  check  whatever. 

The  great  object  of  the  Society  should  be  to  secure  men  of 
the  same  social  status,  and  the  same  stamp  of  Education,  as  the 
Clergy  at  home.  The  profession  of  the  Missionary  is  the 
noblest  and  the  holiest,  the  most  courageous,  and  the  most 
blessed  :  but  by  becoming  Missionaries  they  should  not  divest 
themselves  of  the  feelings  and  duties  of  their  class  :  they  should 
not  allow  themselves  from  zeal  or  carelessness,  or  contempt  of 
worldly  wisdom,  to  do  what  honest  gentlemen  would  shun  to 
do,  e.g.  spend  money,  which  is  not  at  their  disposal  to  spend,  or 
upon  purposes,  to  which  the  money  is  not  allocated,  let  their 
accounts  get  into  confusion,  and  set  a  bad  example  to  their  flock. 
This  has  occurred.  A  good  steward  is  faithful  in  little  things. 
It  is  exceedingly  unadvisable  on  the  part  of  a  Missionary-Society 
to  make  a  permanent  endowment  of  a  College,  or  Bishopric, 
unless  the  entire  control  of  the  former,  and  the  selection  of  the 


(     158     ) 

latter,  be  reserved  to  the  Committee:  and  even  then  it  had  better 
be  avoided. 

The  income  of  the  Society  should  be  jealously  guarded 
against 

I.  Undue  tenderness  to  favourites. 
II.  Waste. 

III.  Muddling. 

IV.  The  evils  of  delay  in  rendition  of  accounts. 

It  is  no  derogation  to  a  good  minister  of  Spiritual  things  to 
be  a  good  steward  of  things,  necessary  for  maintenance  of  life, 
efficiency,  and  good  order.  It  is  shocking  to  read  of  defal- 
cations of  money  on  the  death  of  a  Secretary  of  a  Religious 
Society.  Professional  auditors  should  always  be  employed,  not 
three  old  gentlemen  without  experience.  The  Committee 
should  retain  unfettered  control  of  every  shilling  in  its  coffers, 
and  not  allow  its  supporters  to  force  its  hands  by  conditional 
contributions :  it  may  accept  distinct  Trusts  for  approved  pur- 
poses. Every  shilling  collected  by  its  agents,  whether  at  Home 
or  in  the  Field,  should  be  brought  to  book,  and  spent  with  due 
economy. 

I  quote  the  following  from  an  Agenda  of  a  Missionary-Society, 
as  a  sample  of  the  comfortable  aspirations  of  a  female  Mis- 
sionary in  1894.  We  all  know  how  miserable  and  precarious 
are  the  emoluments  of  well-educated  women  in  Great  Britain, 
and  that  men  are  content  with  /"70  a  year :  this  lady  evinces 
very  little  Missionary-spirit:  "Finds  that  the  salary  of /^loo 
**  allowed  her  is  not  sufficient.  After  paying  for  board  and 
**  putting  aside  a  sum  for  charity,  she  only  has  /  30  per  annum 
*'  available  for  all  other  expenses.  This  is  an  expensive  place. 
"  Asks  that  during  the  summer-months  the  salary  may  be  paid 
••  in  advance,  to  enable  her  to  pay  travelling-expenses  for  a 
**  change." 

Charity  begins  at  home  :  she  wishes  to  be  charitable  at  the 
charges  of  the  Society  :  what  need  is  there  for  a  change  ?  Do 
the  Nuns  of  the  neighbouring  Romish  Convent  take  it } 

No  amount  of  Income  will  meet  the  ever-increasing  desire 
evidenced  in  the  following :  *'  Resolutions  of  Finance  Com- 
"  mittee,  containing  proposals  for  increases  in  salaries  of  House- 
**  Staff  not  exceeding  ^200,  and  for  increased  accommodation 
"  in  the  House  at  a  cost  exceeding  ^100." 

This  happens  not  once  in  a  term  of  five  years,  but  **  toties 
quoties  "  in  the  same  year.  Decentralize,  trust  the  Local 
Committees,  and  the  plethora  of  work  would  diminish  :  British 
India  could  not  be  governed,  if  the  Viceroy  in  Calcutta,  or  the 
Secretary  of  State  for  India  in  Whitehall,  trusted  none  of  their 
subordinates. 


(     159     ) 


5-  The  Publications. 

When  some  Leckie,  or  Froude,  or  Buckle,  passes  the  Literature 
of  the  Nineteenth  Century  under  review,  the  Missionary-Literature 
of  the  last  half  Century  will  indeed  astonish  him.  1  have  been  a 
steady  reader  for  the  first  half  of  that  period,  and  an  omnivorous 
reader  for  the  last  twenty-five  years.  I  can  quite  understand, 
that  many  would  criticize  my  taste,  as  I,  being  a  non-smoker, 
criticize  the  smell  of  tobacco,  but  the  subject  fascinates  me,  and  I 
must  keep  up  my  touch  with  what  is  going  on  in  every  part  of  the 
world  in  the  only  way,  that  is  available.  I  confess,  that  there  is 
much  to  be  desired,  and  much  which  would  repel  anyone,  who  in 
middle  life  began  the  study.  Certainly  there  is  no  parallel  to  it 
in  the  literature  of  this  Century,  and  no  precedent  in  the  past 
Centuries.  No  doubt,  it  is  conducted  on  both  sides  of  the 
Atlantic  with  ability.  It  consists  no  longer  of  goody-goody 
stories,  or  dry  facts,  but  kaleidoscopic  pictures  of  the  manners, 
and  customs,  the  material  and  Spiritual  thoughts  of  all  the  non- 
Christian  Nations  in  the  world.  Such  a  disclosure  of  the 
mysteries  of  Human  Life  was  never  made  before;  but  these 
Publications  should  be  made  self-supporting,  and  could  be 
made  so.  The  narrow-mindedness  of  the  different  Sections  of 
the  religious  world  should  be  corrected  by  each  Society  devoting 
two  pages  of  every  issue  to  Notes  of  the  Wide  Field,  as  well  as 
their  own  Little  Vineyard.  Many  good  souls  believe,  that  their 
petty  denomination  is  the  only  one,  that  has  Missions  at  all,  for, 
as  they  naively  remark,  they  never  heard  of  any  other ;  but  our 
Heavenly  Father  is  glorified  by  the  work  of  all  His  children, 
and  more  especially  the  Missionaries  of  each  denomination 
should  be  informed  up  to  date  of  the  work  of  their  dear  brethren 
scattered  over  the  world.  What  a  poor  conception  they  must 
have  of  the  Communion  of  the  Saints,  when  they  shut  their  eyes 
to  every  ray  of  light,  but  the  one  which  comes  through  their 
particular  lens ! 

Of  course,  the  Report  of  each  individual  Missionary  is  the 
basis  of  the  general  Report  of  the  Association  :  these  are  printed 
and  circulated  to  selected  persons,  and  I  have  read  them  by  the 
scores  :  if  the  writer  but  knew,  how  these  letters  expose  the 
weakness  of  his  character,  and  the  limitations  of  his  knowledge, 
he  would  refrain  ;  he  should  take  pains  with  his  Annual  Letter, 
and  have  no  gush ;  he  should  abstain  from  Scripture-quotations, 
and  stock-phrases  of  piety,  which  are  expressions  of  common 
form,  and  neither  calculated  to  instruct,  inform,  or  edify.  Many 
read  Missionary-Reports  by  the  yard,  or  the  furlong,  and  such 
conventional  expressions  pall  very  much  on  the  taste,  and  most 
readers  skip  them.  Sometimes  there  is  a  most  indecorous,  and 
unjustifiable,  familiarity  with  the  plans  of  the  Almighty.     I  have 


^^^X 


(      160     ) 

sometimes  remonstrated  against  the  vain  repetition  of  the 
Divine  Name  in  every  page,  but  have  been  told,  that  liberal 
supporters  of  the  Society  expect  it :  they  should  be  taught 
better  things :  the  compiler  of  the  Report  should  try  to  elevate 
the  taste  of  his  readers,  not  lower  himself  to  their  vulgar  level. 
The  allusion  to  birth  or  death  of  children  of  the  Missionaries 
is  really  quite  unnecessary.  I  sometimes  seem  to  detect  in  a 
good  Report  the  marks  of  a  second  hand,  which  has  inserted 
pious  tags,  or  hits  against  the  Roman  Catholic,  or  a  tilt  against 
Caste,  or  the  Opium-Trade,  as  if  some  one  on  a  perusal  of  the 

draft  had  said,  "  Mrs. ,  or  Dr. ,  who  are  good  supporters, 

lay  great  stress  on  such  remarks  to  flavour  the  Report."  Many 
Reports,  however,  contain  no  such  blemishes,  or  convention- 
alities, and  yet  from  the  first  to  the  last  line  breathe  a  holy  and 
devoted  spirit.  The  Bible  is  not  textually  quoted,  but  the  whole 
Report  is,  as  it  were,  steeped  in  the  very  essence  of  the 
Scriptures.  If  subordinates  in  secular  employ  in  India  had 
garnished  their  Reports  with  such  platitudes,  and  quotations, 
they  would  have  been  checked  by  the  remark,  that  old  hands 
knew  them  better  than  they  did.  The  Home-Committee  can 
say  the  same,  as  it  has  to  read  them  from  year  to  year. 
Sensational  stories  of  death-bed-scenes  are  not  wanted :  a 
narrative  of  the  consistent  walk  of  a  redeemed  community  is 
more  acceptable.  A  thoughtful  and  earnest  labourer  can  so 
bring  his  joys  and  sorrows,  his  successes  and  failures,  his  hopes 
and  his  fears,  before  his  friends  at  home,  in  a  humble  and 
subdued  tone,  as  will  secure  their  love  and  esteem.  Above  all,, 
let  there  be  no  abuse  of  the  Powers  that  be,  no  railing  against 
men  in  authority,  no  sneers  at  Missionaries  of  other  denomina- 
tions. Such  phrases  do  not  speak  well  for  the  Christian  spirit 
of  the  writer.  He  can  state  his  facts  truthfully,  and  leave  it  to 
the  Home-Committee  to  form  a  judgment  on  those  facts. 
Stereotyped  abuse  of  the  Romish  ]\Iissionaries  should  be  avoided. 
Any  case  of  illegal  aggression  should  be  the  subject  of  a 
separate  letter. 

In  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report  I  read  as  follows : 
"  Mr.  Perkins  thinks,  but  many  will  differ  from  him,  that  Mis- 
sionary-Reports and  speeches  are  far  too  roseate."  I  quite  agree 
with  him. 

I  quote  another  writer :  **  How  hard  it  is  for  the  Missionary 
**  to  be  patient,  when  his  friends  at  home  are  so  impatient,  and 
•*  how  great  is  the  temptation  to  embellish  the  account  of  his 
**  annual  labours  1  I  fear  there  are  grave  scandals  connected 
"  with  Missionary-Reports,  but  the  fault  lies  rather  with  the  sub- 
**  scribers  to  Missions  than  with  Missionary-Agents.  For  the 
"  pious,  simple  folk,  who  take  great  interest  in  Missionary-enter- 
**  prise,  but  who  are  entirely  ignorant  of  the  circumstances  of 


(     161      ) 

*'  Missionary-work,  the  sun  must  always  shine ;  a  cloud  on  the 
"  horizon  is  intolerable ;  this  is,  as  it  were,  the  condition  of 
*'  their  support  ;  the  result  is  the  issue  of  Reports  positively 
**  grotesque  in  their  optimism,  in  which  Scripture-texts  jostle 
"  strangely  with  palpably  exaggerated  retrospects  and  fore- 
**  casts." 

Here  another  writer  remarks  on  the  roseate  hue  of  Reports : 
"  What  is  the  present  state  of  the  case  ?  Many  people  are 
**  quietly  assuming,  that  Christianity  is  making  a  yearly  en- 
**  croachment  upon  Heathenism  and  Mahometanism,  and  upon 
**  the  corrupt  Christian  Systems  of  Continental  Europe ;  in  other 
**  words,  that  at  each  year's  close  there  has  been  such  a  dis- 
**  placement  of  Error  and  Idolatry,  that  we  may  reckon  on  a 
*'  relative  increase  of  vital  Christianity  in  the  world.  No  greater 
"  delusion  could  be  fostered.  Every  year  the  excess  of  births 
*'  into  this  world  of  sin,  above  the  number  carried  away  by 
''  death,  is  estimated  at  twelve  Millions  of  souls :  is  anyone 
"  sanguine  enough  to  suppose,  that  even  five  Millions  of  true 
"  believers  are  added  annually  to  the  sum  of  converted  men  and 
"  women  in  the  world  ?  And  yet,  unless  some  such  result  as 
•*  this  or  more  than  this  is  attained,  there  is  an  obvious  loss  of 
**  ground,  and  a  prodigious  increase  to  the  ranks  of  the  foes  of 
*'  Christ.  The  normal  increase  of  the  tens  of  thousands  in 
"  Protestant  countries  of  Christendom  sinks  into  insignificance 
*'  when  compared  with  the  hundreds  of  thousands,  the  millions, 
"  who  form  the  normal  increase  to  the  numbers  of  heathen 
**  peoples,  of  Mahometans,  of  the  Greek  and  Roman  Churches, 
*'  to  say  nothing  of  the  dead  mass  of  professing  Christians  in 
*'  more  favoured  lands." 

These  false  statements  should  really  cease  to  be  made,  and 
the  late  works  of  esteemed  authors  be  consulted :  it  is  of  no  use 
acting  on  the  Middle- Age-practice  of  the  Church  of  Rome. 

"  Populus  vult  decipi,  et  decipiatur." 

I  quote  the  following  from  a  religious  newspaper  of  Nov., 
1893:  "  Sir,  I  have  observed  with  deep  sorrow,  that  for  the  last  year 
*'  or  two  the  Church-Missionary  Society  has  been  in  danger  of 
*'  losing  its  character  for  sobriety,  and  there  does  seem  to  be  a 
"  special  need  at  the  present  time  of  earnest  prayer,  that  the 
**  increased  zeal,  at  which  we  all  rejoice,  may  be  *  according  to 
'•knowledge.'     November  4,  1893.     N.  A.  A." 

The  books  of  Joshua  and  Judges  are  freely  quoted  by  writers, 
who  forget,  that  the  quotations  only  applied  to  the  commence- 
ment of  the  occupation  of  the  tiny  Province  of  Palestine,  which 
small  as  it  was,  was  never  fully  occupied.  We  in  the  Nineteenth 
Century  have  to  deal  with  the  great  round  world,  and  2,000 
languages.  The  comparison  is  ridiculous,  and  is  mere  pious 
rodomontade. 

II 


(     162     ) 

Considering  the  matter  judicially,  I  find  the  following  objec- 
tions to  the  style  of  Missionary-Literature : 

A.  There  is  a  tendency  to  advise  the  general  public  as  to  the 

mode,  in  which  they  should  spend  their  income. 

B.  A  denunciation  of  all  other  Religious  Conceptions,  and 

the  races,  who  have  held  them  for  two  or  three  thousand 
years. 

C.  An  unjust  description  of  their  moral  state,  forgetting  the 

moral  state  of  the  people  of  England. 

D.  A  wide  indulgence  in  Prophecy,  and  use  of  the  Divine 

Name. 

E.  A  loud  assertion,  that  the  Almighty  is  on  their  side,  and 

consequently  they  must  succeed,  forgetting  that,  had  it 
been  the  Divine  Will,  the  world  might  long  ago  have 
been  converted. 

F.  Some    Societies    using   an   Evangelical   Patois,    others   a 

High-Church-Word-Store  :  both  equally  unpleasant  to 
read. 

G.  In  many  cases  evidencing  an  intimate  acquaintance  with 

the  Divine  Plans,  which  is  most  presumptuous. 

H.  Phrases  from  the  Old  Testament  made  use  of  in  a  non- 
natural  sense,  and  applied  to  circumstances,  for  which 
they  were  never  intended. 

I.  Unreal,  or  exaggerated,  statements  as  to  numerical  success. 

J.  Hero-worship  of  the  most  audacious  kind. 

K.  Puffing  up  particular  Methods,  **  worshipping  their  own 
drag." 

L.  Interfering  with  worldly  politics. 

I  quote  from  the  Catholic  Missions  of  Manchester,  Jan.,  1891, 
p.  136,  the  following  statement: 

**  We  put  up  in  a  village  in  the  Sunderbunds  (India)  and  there 
"  constructed  an  altar,  and  under  the  roof  of  the  hut  there  came 
'*  down  from  Heaven  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  shrouded  majesty." 

To  a  Protestant  these  are  terrible  expressions  to  read,  but 
the  Romish  Priests  meant  what  they  wrote :  it  would  have  been 
more  judicious  on  the  part  of  the  Missionary  not  to  have  written 
it,  and  of  the  Compiler  of  the  Journal  not  to  have  published 
it :  the  same  remark  applies  to  the  countless  anecdotes,  pious 
thoughts,  moral  ejaculations,  emotional  gush,  with  which  a 
Protestant-Missionary-Report  is  padded.  It  makes  one  sick  to 
read  it. 

The  ministration  of  the  Gospel  was  not  committed  to  Angels, 
but  to  very  weak  and  erring  men,  yet  strange  to  say  year  after 
year  no  failure,  no  misconduct,  is  reported  amidst  a  staff  of  so 
many  agents  :    occasionally  a  dark-coloured  agent,   such  as  a 


(     163     ) 

Negro  Pastor  in  the  Niger-Delta,  catches  it,  but  the  white  men 
are  all  impeccable,  so  far  as  the  Report  tells  us  :  such  a  Report 
would  obviously  have  light  and  shade,  but  here  all  is  *'  couleur 
de  rose,"  and  this  gives  to  all  readers  an  unreal  character  to  the 
Narrative.  Paul  concealed  nothing  :  he  published  to  the  Church 
of  Corinth  of  his  time,  and  to  the  Church  of  Christ  for  all  ages 
to  come,  the  shocking  misconduct  of  some  of  his  early  converts  : 
why  should  Missionary-Reports  pass  over  errors,  mistakes,  and 
sins  ?  Had  the  Committee  no  occasion  to  groan  in  spirit,  and 
hang  their  heads  at  no  misconduct  on  the  part  of  their  agents  ? 
it  is  well-known,  that  in  Africa  they  had  reason.  Then  we  find 
in  these  Reports  too  many  common  form-expressions :  all,  who 
died  early,  had  evinced  remarkable  progress :  all,  who  died  late, 
had  done  good  work  :  were  there  no  bad  bargains,  no  hasty  and 
injudicious  selections  of  incompetent  men,  who  were  cheerfully 
got  rid  o(?  what  is  the  history  of  the  '*  returned  empties,"  whom 
we  meet  with  everywhere  ?  Profuse  thanks  are  offered  for  what 
appears  to  the  narrow  human  vision  as  a  blessing,  or  a  mercy, 
but  no  thanks  are  offered  for  the  chastisements,  which  are  bless- 
ings in  disguise,  and  which  clear  away  so  much  self-complacency. 
An  account  is  given  of  some  strong  opposition  to  the  Missionary, 
and  a  great  deal  made  of  it,  as  an  Englishman  always  does  make 
a  great  deal  of  the  least  opposition  to  his  will ;  yet  at  the  end 
we  find  complacent  remarks,  that  the  opposition  had  done  no 
good,  and  "the  people  hear  us  gladly." 

The  great  thing  would  be  to  have  a  shorter  Report :  it  requires 
great  determination,  and  a  strong  stomach,  to  get  through  the 
present  bulky  volume,  and  a  considerable  knowledge  of  the  subject 
to  make  the  reading  profitable  and  intelligible :  a  great  many 
of  the  extracts  should  be  omitted  altogether,  and  the  remainder 
relegated  to  an  appendix,  or  foot-note,  as  is  the  case  with 
some  Associations  :  The  device  of  putting  words  in  inverted 
commas  as  quotations  should  be  abandoned,  such  as  **  they  lis- 
tened most  attentively  "  ;  *'  as  full  of  fun  as  little  kittens  "  ;  "  say 
that  name  again";  "seemed  to  drink  in  our  words":  all  this 
savours  of  the  penny-a-liner,  and  the  special  correspondent,  who 
wishes  to  attract.  There  are  not  many,  who  can  say,  that  they 
read  the  Reports  both  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Gospel,  and  the  Church-Missionary-Society:  as  a  literary  work  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel-Report  is  far  superior, 
and  is  much  more  pleasant  reading.  The  printing  by  the 
Church-Missionary-Society  of  the  Sermon  preached  at  St.  Bride's 
Church  is  quite  unnecessary.  As  a  rule,  it  is  not  worth  much  as 
a  contribution  to  knowledge.  I  wonder,  how  many  even  of  the 
Church-Missionary-Society-Committee  read  it.  It  is  a  survival 
of  old  practice.  Many  persons  only  read  the  Reports  of  their 
own  Society :  that  is  well,  for  many  do  not  even  do  that :  but  it 


(     164     ) 

is  better  to  read  the  Reports  of  others,  both  of  the  Protestant, 
and  Romish,  Missions. 

I  quote  from  a  Report  of  the  Established  Church  of  Scotland, 
1878  :  "  Missionaries  in  the  Field  are  discouraged  by  the  notion, 
"  that  their  friends  crave  exciting  and  novel  narratives ;  that 
**  the  plain  record  of  daily  duties,  petty  disappointments,  and 
"  serious  hindrances,  would  be  unacceptable.  The  fact  is 
**  otherwise :  what  is  wanted  is  such  a  setting  out  of  common- 
**  place-details,  as  will  bring  their  life  vividly  before  the  eyes 
**  of  their  friends,  who  feel  a  deep  concern  in  the  trials,  as 
**  well  as  the  successes,  of  their  representatives.  Let  them  not 
"  shrink  from  telling  of  all  kinds  of  opposition,  and  apostacy, 
"  no  less  than  Conversions." 

The  ignorance,  evinced  by  the  Missionary  of  all  the  lessons, 
taught  by  the  history  of  the  Conversion  of  Europe,  of  Ethnology, 
Geography,  Linguistic  Science,  and  the  ancient  Religious  Con- 
ceptions of  the  people,  is  calculated  to  alienate  the  mind  of  the 
ordinary  reader:  it  is  idle  to  say,  that  such  knowledge  of  the 
civilized  races  of  Asia  is  unnecessary,  or  unattainable. 

What  shall  be  said  of  the  following  quotation  from  the  Church- 
Missionary-Society-Report  on  Japan }  "  The  leading  family 
"  there  are  very  earnest  Christians,  and  I  seldom  have  seen 
•*  faces,  which  bear  more  plainly  the  marks  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
**  Christ's  ownership.  The  husband,  Tobikawa  San,  has  the 
*•  true  shepherd-spirit,  and  is  always  trying  to  bring  others,  his 
•*  own  farm-labourers,  ignorant  old  women,  little  children,  any 
**  whom  he  comes  across  through  the  day,  into  the  fold." 

I  could  have  wished,  that  the  Missionary  had  told  us  more 
particularly  of  these  marks,  coupled  with  a  remark,  which  I  shall 
quote  further  on,  of  the  Satanic  appearance  of  a  man,  who 
declined  to  be  converted  :  such  expressions  are  unworthy  of  a 
serious  Report.  I  remember  one  of  my  subordinate  Magistrates 
summing  up  the  case  against  a  malefactor  by  stating,  that  the 
man  had  a  squint  in  the  right  eye,  which  satisfied  the  Magistrate 
of  his  guilt :  I  need  hardly  say,  that  a  severe  reprimand  was  the 
result  of  this  improper  remark  :  do  we  not  know  excellent 
Christians  all  round  us  with  most  forbidding  expressions  of  the 
facial  organs  ?  Do  no  rogues  have  most  innocent  and  holy 
features  }  I  read  with  surprise  the  word  "lady"  in  a  Missionary 
Report:  A  few  days  ago  the  word  "gentleman"  also  caught 
my  eye,  but  on  only  one  occasion,  which  will  be  alluded  to  further 
on.  From  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report  I  remark, 
that  a  sick  person  is  described  "  as  a  half-breed  lady"  :  this  is  a 
most  singular  expression  on  the  part  of  a  Missionary,  and  how 
it  got  into  the  Report  is  not  obvious :  at  any  rate  the  term 
"lady"  should  never  be  used:  our  Lord  called  His  Mother 
"Woman,"  and  no  higher  title  can  be  desired. 


(     165     ) 

I  rise  with  an  intellect  wearied,  and  a  failing  Faith,  and  a 
nausea  as  of  something  unpleasant  in  my  mouth,  from  the 
perusal  of  some  Reports  and  Publications :  I  do  not  venture  to 
say  which.  I  have  for  many  years  read  the  Reports  of  six 
great  Societies,  and  a  half-a-dozen  smaller  ones,  such  as  the 
Universities'  Mission,  the  Melanesian,  the  American  Board,  the 
Moravian,  Rio  Pongas,  and  the  Reports  of  the  three  branches 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Scotland,  besides  French, 
German,  and  Latin  Reports. 

Every  page  in  some  Reports  has  the  Divine  Name  unneces- 
sarily brought  in  :  it  is  in  our  thoughts  always,  and  everywhere  : 
why  bring  it  into  vulgar  use  ?  In  a  Circular  of  the  Church- 
Missionary-Society,  lately  issued,  of  about  thirty  to  forty  lines,  I 
found  the  Divine  Name  seven  times ;  and  the  supporters  of  the 
particular  Society  styled  **  God's  people."  Every  page  of  some 
Reports  announces  the  marriage  of  a  Missionary,  the  birth  or 
death  of  a  baby :  in  one  French  Report  the  Missionary  tells  us  in 
his  full  gush  of  the  birth  of  his  ninth  child,  gives  us  her  baptismal 
name,  and  adds  the  information,  that  the  little  stranger  resembles 
her  elder  brother,  and  that  the  mother  has  a  copious  supply  of 
milk  to  rear  her.  Then  in  another  Report  we  have  abuse  of  a 
poor  heathen,  who  would  not  let  his  son,  his  only  son,  be 
baptized,  which  meant  social  death  :  we  have  full  accounts  of 
the  immorality  of  the  Heathen  :  we  hear  of  a  Missionary,  trained 
at  the  expense  of  the  Society  from  his  boyhood,  throwing  up 
his  work,  and  coming  home,  because  the  climate  does  not  suit 
his  wife.  Nothing  is  so  humiliating  as  the  perusal  of  such  a 
Report  in  the  last  decade  of  the  Nineteenth  Century :  pious  tags, 
hackneyed  quotations  from  Holy  Writ  are  inserted  in  inverted 
commas,  attacks  on  the  Opium-Trade,  the  Liquor-Traffic,  the 
Church  of  Rome,  and  the  non-Christian  world  in  general.  A 
kind  of  finishing  up  with  a  parody  of  the  Mahometan  formula 
of  Belief:  ** There  is  no  Society  like  this  Society,  and  this  is 
the  Report,"  with  a  final  call  for  more  money,  and  more  men 
and  women. 

If  this  description  be  doubted,  I  ask  the  doubters  to  read 
Reports  all  round  for  a  cycle  of  five  years,  as  I  have  done. 

But  ever  and  anon  in  the  wilderness  of  quotations  and  Editorial 
platitudes,  unkind  stories  of  the  Mahometan,  and  Hindu, 
and  Buddhist,  and  Confucianist,  who  are  after  all  also,  as 
well  as  us,  the  poor  children  of  the  same  Father,  the  reader 
comes  suddenly  on  a  spark  of  light,  which  illumines  the  pages : 
I  find  in  my  copies  the  words  ''most  interesting !  "  or  " beautiful !  " 
scored  in  pencil  in  the  margin  :  little  indications  of  a  simple 
belief,  which  had  come  no  one  knew  how  :  the  story  of  some 
one,  whom  the  Spirit  of  God  had  gone  out  to  meet,  and  made 
him  a  new  man  ere  he  returned  home  :  the  story  of  the  catechist, 


(     166     ) 

who  was  found  stretched  on  the  ground,  under  the  trees  of  the 
forest,  reading  the  translation  into  his  own  language  of  a 
Gospel,  which  the  ship  had  brought  to  him  the  previous  day  : 
we  find  little  traces  of  the  natural  goodness,  which  still  survives 
in  unconverted  men,  which  will  develop  itself  under  the  gracious 
touch  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  for  God  has  not  left  Himself  without  a 
witness.  Such  words  as  these  are  worthy  of  record,  "it  was 
worth  a  lifetime  in  the  Mission-Field  to  see  this  soul  saved." 
Every  part  of  the  world  has  its  message  of  Love,  for  we  are  all 
men :  in  one  Report  I  read  touching  incidents  of  a  party  of 
Redskins  waiting  several  days,  in  inclement  weather,  on  the 
shores  of  a  great  river,  hoping  to  stop  the  Missionary's  boat,  as 
it  was  proceeding  down  stream,  that  they  might  have  their  little 
children,  whom  they  had  brought  with  them,  baptized. 

We  read  with  interest  the  long-continued  contest  between  an 
experienced  Missionary,  and  a  young  Brahmin,  which  after  many 
days  of  struggle  on  the  part  of  the  latter  ended  in  his  surrender: 
he  lives  to  this  day,  though  his  converter  has  long  ago  received 
his  reward :  we  read  with  thankfulness  of  the  Cannibal  Chief, 
who  spared  a  victim  to  please  the  wife  of  a  Missionary,  and 
himself  became  a  convert,  and  a  lay-reader  to  his  subjects :  all 
such  affecting  facts  (for  I  care  not  for  speculations,  or  visions) 
teach  us  the  lesson,  expressed  by  Galileo  in  his  famous  utterance 
with  regard  to  the  rotation  of  the  globe  in  spite  of  Popes  and 
Cardinals, 

"  E  pur  si  muove." 

There  is  a  movement,  and  the  Truth  of  the  Message,  and  the 
very  present  aid  of  the  Divine  Power,  are  evidenced  by  the  pro- 
gress made  in  spite  of  the  feebleness,  and  unwisdom,  of  the  poor 
human  agents  employed,  and  the  fact,  that  so  much  remains  to 
be  desired  in  the  Modes,  in  which  the  work  is  reported.  The 
Lord  does  make  Himself  manifest  by  His  Works :  it  is  not  the 
dogma,  or  the  creed,  the  hackneyed  prayer,  that  marks  those, 
whom  He  has  chosen.  He  reads  the  heart.  In  spite  of  the 
presumptuous  Boasting,  the  Kaith-healing,  the  Self-laudation,  the 
complacent  Euphemism,  the  suppression  of  all  facts,  that  are 
unpleasant,  there  is  sufficient  evidence  to  show  that  "  Great 
Pan  is  dead."  There  may  be  worse  forms  of  Religious  Con- 
ceptions coming  into  existence,  but  the  old  ones  will  not  hold 
out  before  the  attack  of  Education,  Civilization,  and  contact 
with  other  Nations,  and  the  light  of  the  simple  Gospel. 

The  additional  Publications,  monthly  Periodicals  of  all  kinds, 
fugitive  pieces  for  distribution,  tracts,  and  leaflets,  leave  much  to 
be  desired.  Many  of  them  are  distinctly  goody-goody,  and  as 
such  to  be  deplored  :  it  is  difficult  to  say  what  class  of  the  com- 
munity, from  the  working-man's  family  to   the   Noble's,   such 


(     167     ) 

productions  are  calculated  to   impress  favourably  in  favour  of 
Missions,  and  that  ought  to  be  the  only  object. 

6.  Sensationalism. 

Too  much  time  and  money  should  not  be  wasted  in  sensational 
gatherings  under  domes  of  Cathedrals,  or  in  great  Assembly- 
Halls,  listening  to  Visions  and  Rhetorical  figures  of  excited 
Preachers,  or  still  more  excited  Platform-orators.  Such  vain 
demonstrations  will  soon  develop  into  processions,  and  other 
eccentricities,  for  the  passion  or  rage  is  advancing  year  by  year. 
The  work  of  conducting  Missions  is  a  very  serious  one,  and  the 
words  "  Ora  et  labora"  seem  to  cover  the  whole  ground  :  this 
was  the  Method  adopted  by  the  founders  of  our  great  Societies : 
it  is  not,  that  they  had  less  piety,  or  love  for  prayer,  but  they 
wore  it  less  on  their  sleeve  :  it  was  well  said  by  an  old  friend  of 
Missions,  that :  "  If  the  walls  of  some  Committee-Rooms  could 
'*  speak,  they  would  tell,  how  discussions  were  often  stopped, 
**  while  the  Committee  knelt  down  and  prayed  over  difficulties, 
*'  that  were  perplexing  them.  All  their  deliberations  were 
"  conducted  in  a  spirit  of  weighty  and  dependent  prayer." 
This  spreading  out  the  letter  full  of  anxiety  before  the  Lord, 
and  praying  over  it  in  the  Room,  where  His  work  was  being 
carried  on,  was  something  very  different  from  the  issue  of 
thousands  of  tickets,  and  the  setting  in  motion  of  hundreds  of 
vehicles,  and  the  bringing  together  crowds  of  women  and  men, 
who  would  have  been  more  profitably  employed,  working  in  their 
own  homes,  or  worshipping  in  their  own  Churches. 

Sensationalism  is  not  confined  to  Missionary  objects.  I  quote 
from  a  religious  paper:   "  It  would  seem,  that  our  Ecclesiastical 

*  authorities  have  definitely  adopted  a  policy  of  what  may  be 
'  called  euphemistically  impulsive  movement.  There  are  two 
'  modes  of  progression,  the  one  by  steady  and  regular  motion, 
'  the  other  by  successive  impulses.  The  Church  has  hitherto 
'  gone  on  the  former  plan.  *  Next  to  a  sound  rule  of  Faith,  a 
'  sober  standard  of  feeling  in   matters  of  Religion'  was  the 

*  object  even  of  the  enthusiastic  party,  which  created  the  great 

*  Ecclesiastical  movement  of  the  last  forty  years.  But  this  very 
'  party,  or,  at  least,  its  most  advanced  representatives,  are  now 
'  the  chief  advocates,  though  not  perhaps  the  originators,  of  a 
'  system,  which  subordinates  sobriety  to  more  impulsive  qualities. 
'  Yesterday,  for  instance,  a  precedent  set  last  year  was  renewed, 
'  and  the  day  was  set  apart  for  special  services  and  intercessions 
'  on  behalf  of  Missions  in  Foreign  Parts.  Such  a  plan,  no 
'  doubt,  has  its  advantages.  On  the  strictly  religious  aspect  of 
'  the  question,  indeed,  it  does  not  become  us  to  speak.  That, 
'  which  is  ostensibly  the  main  object  of  the  movement,  is  to 

*  unite  the  members  of  the  Church  in  one  act  of  Intercession 


(      168     ) 

'*  on  behalf  of  Missions  ;  and  we  do  not  know,  whether  it  is 
*'  supposed,  that  the  louder  voice  of  a  united  Intercession  is 
**  more  likely  to  command  a  hearing  than  the  less  obtrusive 
**  supplications  of  individuals  and  scattered  congregations,  or 
"  whether  it  is  simply  thought,  that  the  appointment  of  a  given 
**  day  will  rouse  people  to  a  duty,  which  they  would  otherwise 
**  neglect,  and  that  a  deeper  interest  will  be  excited  by  the 
**  consciousness  of  common  action.  In  this  respect  the  move- 
"  ment  is  of  the  same  character  as  that  for  the  Hospital-Sunday. 
"  It  is  found  by  experience,  that  the  wave  of  sympathy  rises 
**  higher  and  rolls  over  a  wider  area,  when  it  is  set  in  motion 
*'  over  all  parts  of  the  surface  of  society  simultaneously.  Men 
**  are  swept  within  its  reach,  who  ordinarily  stand  aloof  in  easy 
'*  security  on  the  shore.  Whether  it  is  altogether  a  good  sign, 
**  that  these  supreme  efforts  should  be  annually  needed,  and 
**  whether  the  greater  the  flood  the  greater  may  not  also  be  the 
"  ebb,  may,  perhaps,  in  all  such  cases  be  questioned." 

We  may  fairly  ask :  will  a  united  voice  obtain  a  more  certain 
hearing  of  the  Giver  of  all  good  things  ?  Does  not  over-excite- 
ment produce  a  reaction  ?  We  implore  the  popular  speaker,  or 
preacher,  not  to  dilate  upon  Visions,  which  he  describes  poetically 
as  having  seen,  as  we  know  that  the  Epoch  for  young  men 
seeing  visions,  and  old  men  dreaming  dreams,  is  past ;  we  are 
living  in  a  material  unromantic  age,  when  flights  of  oratory  have 
no  effect,  but  when  words  of  Divine  Wisdom  fall  very  deep  in  the 
heart.  Of  what  profit  is  the  working  out  of  analogies  with 
Joseph  and  Queen  Esther,  or  other  Old  Testament  characters  ? 
they  are  mere  verbiage  :  they  have  no  relation  to  the  subject  of 
Evangelization  :  it  is  not  necessary  to  go  behind  the  example, 
and  words,  of  the  Master  Himself,  and  Paul.  Let  him  tell  the 
audience  the  old,  very  old,  and  yet  new,  ever  new,  story,  how 
Science  has  revealed  every  corner  of  the  round  world,  and  that 
in  the  Victorian  age  we  are  brought  into  contact  with  Nations, 
and  tribes,  and  tongues,  of  whom  our  Fathers  knew  nothing,  the 
white,  the  black,  the  red,  the  yellow  races,  diff'ering  from 
each  other  in  colour  of  skin,  in  the  skull,  the  skeleton,  the 
temperament,  and  environment,  yet  all  recognising  the 
existence  of  a  Great  Spirit,  and  of  a  Life  beyond  the  decay 
of  the  poor  body,  all  waiting,  waiting  to  be  instructed  :  **if,"  as 
the  Northumbrian  Chief  said  to  the  Missionary  from  Canterbury, 
**  ye  have  anything  to  tell  us,  let  us  hear."  He  might  then  tell 
his  audience,  how  the  Holy  Spirit  has  been  poured  out  with 
exceeding  abundance  on  this  generation,  bidding  us,  enabling 
us,  sustaining  us  in  the  wondrous  desire  to  carry  the  Gospel  to 
every  Nation,  on  which  the  Sun  shines  in  its  daily  course.  If 
he  be  a  Missionary,  or  one,  who  has  lived  among  Missionaries, 
he  can  tell  them  with  glistening  eye,  but  in  the  simplest  possible 


(     169     ) 

words,  how  the  War  goes  on  :  words  steeped  in  Love  with  no 
single  expression  of  hatred  to,  contempt  for,  abuse  of,  the  poor 
benighted  heathen :  Words  of  Love  and  Pity,  such  as  Paul  uses, 
when  he  speaks  of  God's  chosen  people  :  if  the  preacher  be  not 
a  Missionary,  he  may  have  read,  or  he  ought  to  have  read,  the 
narratives  that  come  in  from  the  East  and  the  West,  the  North 
and  the  South,  not  of  one  Nation,  or  one  Church,  or  one 
denomination:  let  the  story  be  written  with  an  iron  pen  on  the 
tablets  of  the  hearts, 'of  the  hearers,  but  let  him  remember,  that 
by  his  gleaming  words  he  may  conciliate  new  allies,  or  alienate 
by  egotistical,  boastful,  unjust,  expressions,  hitherto  faithful 
supporters.  The  twentieth  Century  may  see  the  work  in  greater 
completeness  :  the  present  Century  has  only  paved  the  way,  and 
much  of  its  work  is  only  wood,  hay,  and  stubble :  there  will  be 
something  then  to  record,  though  our  eyes  may  never  see  it. 

This  is  not  sensationalism,  but  fact.  But  what  shall  we  say 
of  cries  from  Westmoreland  for  one  thousand  men,  echoed  by  a 
cry  from  Shanghai  for  one  thousand  for  China  only  ?  when  the 
Armies  of  Nations  are  increased  in  this  hasty  way,  the  standard 
of  height  and  fitness  has  to  be  reduced  ?  If  a  thousand  be  called 
for,  why  not  ten  thousand  ?  It  is  a  mere  election-cry.  Can  the 
average  of  capacity  of  the  men  and  women  now  sent  out  safely 
be  reduced  ?  The  exaggerations,  and  sensationalism,  and  emo- 
tional transcendentalism,  have  grown  up,  since  Mr.  Venn,  a 
calm  and  practical  Statesman-secretary,  laid  down  his  pen.  A 
historian  remarked,  that  there  were  two  classes  of  Nations  in 
Europe,  the  robust  like  the  Russian,  the  Teuton,  and  the 
Frank,  who  are  masculine,  and  the  Greek,  Latin,  and  Iberian 
races,  who  are  feminine  in  their  emotional  want  of  control,  and 
their  sanguine  temperament :  can  we  not  detect  a  large  diffusion 
of  the  feminine  element  in  the  proceedings  of  the  Home- 
Committees,  and  the  labourers  in  the  Field  ?  but  it  is  not  the 
brave,  dauntless  element  of  the  Female  Evangelist,  but  the  ill- 
considered  utterances  of  the  ignorant  emotionalist. 


(     170     ) 


V.     THE    MISSION    IN    THE    FIELD. 


CAP. 
V. 


The  Mission  in  the  Field. 


The  Very  Small  Mission  without  Resources. 

The  Solitary  Mission-Station:  the  Pioneer-Mission. 

The  Self-supporting  Mission. 

a.    The    Native    Agent.      h.    Independent    Native 

Church. 
The  Unpaid  Agent. 


Prefatory  Remarks. 

I.  The  simplest  expression  of  a  Missionary  is,  that  of  a  person 
of  either  sex,  or  accompanied  by  one  or  more  fellow-labourers, 
who  goes  out  at  his,  or  her,  own  charge,  subject  to  no  external 
control,  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  a  non-Christian  population. 
Should  funds  be  collected  by  friends,  in  aid,  there  are  no 
accounts  published.    This  is  what  some  call  a  "  Faith-Mission." 

II.  When  several  such  individuals  unite,  and  have  all  things 
in  common,  and  bind  themselves  by  certain  Rules,  they  form  a 
"Sisterhood"  or  "Brotherhood."  Should  accounts  be  kept, 
they  are  not  published,  as  the  concern  is  a  private  one. 

III.  The  next  stage  is  an  organized  Association  of  contributors 
to  a  Fund,  controlled  by  a  Committee,  which  is  annually  elected 
out  of  the  body,  and  is  empowered  by  the  Rules  of  the  Association 
to  select  Agents,  send  them  out,  support  them  while  out,  and 
recall  them  at  pleasure.  This  is  a  "  Missionary-Society."  In 
its  fullest  development,  such  a  Committee  trains  Students, 
selects  suitable  Mission-Fields,  provides  for  sick  and  disabled 
Agents,  and  the  children  of  all  Agents,  and  is  responsible  to  no 
one,  but  its  constituents,  duly  assembled  in  General  Meetings, 
to  whom  it  renders  accounts,  and  full  reports  of  work  done,  and 
whose  order  it  must  obey  on  penalty  of  being  superseded. 

IV.  When  the  Association  comprises  the  whole  body  of 
Christians  of  a  particular  denomination,  who  have  formed  them- 
selves into  a  corporation  of  a  so-called  "  Church,"  Missionary 


(     171     ) 

work  is  then  said  to  be  conducted  by  the  Church.  This  is  only 
possible,  when  there  is  a  fixed  confession  of  Faith,  without 
diverging  shades  of  theological  opinion  within  the  Church.  In 
the  case  of  a  National  Church,  like  the  Church  of  England,  it 
is  impossible. 

V.  Missionary- Societies  have  satellites,  independent  in 
organization,  but  formed  solely  to  co-operate.  Such  Societies 
are  called  Home-Aids,  or  Foreign-Aids,  according  to  the  work, 
which  they  undertake :  **  Special- Aids,"  if  they  are  satellites  to 
several  Societies.  Some  of  these  Aid-Societies  have  excep- 
tionally a  double  position,  as  satellites  to  other  Societies,  and 
doing  independent  foreign  work  of  their  own.  These  Societies 
do  the  Women's  Work,  Medical  Work,  Training  Work,  Mis- 
cellaneous Work,  and  Publishing  Work,  of  other  Societies,  and 
are  of  exceedingly  great  importance. 

VI.  Associations,  which  admit  members  of  all  Protestant 
Denominations,  are  called  Catholic  or  Undenominational. 

I.  The  Very  Small  Mission  without  Resources. 

There  is  an  objection  to  small  Societies,  and  the  smaller  they 
are  the  greater  the  objection.  The  Heathen  must  be  conquered 
by  great  battalions,  not  by  Knights-Errant,  and  romantic  and 
ill-considered  attempts  made  by  misdirected  enthusiasm  :  I 
have  known  too  many  of  such  mushrooms.  They  fade  away,  or 
die  with  their  founders.  Consider  then  the  waste  of  time  and 
money,  the  vacillation,  the  delay  from  want  of  funds  and  men, 
the  nullity  of  effect.  Many  names  rise  to  my  pen,  but  my 
remarks  are  to  be  colourless.  A  wise  governing  Committee,  an 
Agency  for  collecting  funds,  and  preparing  Agents,  are  neces- 
sary. Such  skirmishers  do  mischief,  and  impede  the  progress 
of  the  main  army,  and  sometimes  cause  scandals  :  I  make  this 
remark  with  knowledge.  In  the  case  of  a  small  Society  the 
charges  for  the  Home-Office  have  an  unduly  large  average.  I 
do  not  despise  the  day  of  small  things,  but  that  day  in  most 
Fields  has  passed  away,  and  greater  progress  will  be  made  by 
strengthening  great  Societies.  I  know  of  one  Society,  whose 
efficacy  is  injured  by  parasitical  growths,  or  extraneous  grafts, 
which  have  become  suckers  rather  than  feeders.  A  Society, 
which  is  to  continue  and  flourish,  must  be  based  on  a  Church, 
or  a  Section  of  a  Church,  or  a  Denomination,  and  must  not 
depend  on  the  life  and  energy  of  one  individual,  one  family,  or 
a  body  of  friends ;  if  it  has  no  root,  it  will  fade  away,  and  die,  as 
many  have  done.  The  starting  of  a  personal  Mission  does  a 
mischief  to  the  cause :  Missionaries  must  have  the  gift  of 
obedience  to  some  one.  Church,  or  Society:  if  they  have  not, 
and  go  in  for  simple  Egoism,  they  had  better  leave  it  alone. 


(     172    ) 

The  noble  army  of  Keltic  Missionaries,  whom  we  love  and 
honour  so  much,  worked  in  a  sporadic  way,  without  system,  or 
tap-root  on  their  mother  country,  and  they  passed  away  like  a 
Stormy  Cloud.  The  Anglo-Saxon  Mission  of  Boniface  made  an 
oath  of  obedience  to  Rome,  and  with  organized  support  lasted 
on  till  Europe,  by  means  fair  and  foul,  as  above  described,  was 
converted. 

One  who  has  tried  it  and  failed,  in  a  letter  to  my  address  now 
on  my  table,  dated  1888,  writes  that  "  a  free-lance  Method  of 
**  Mission,  unless  under  exceptional  circumstances,  and  by 
**  Agents  of  unusual  good  sense,  is  very  injurious  to  the  Christian 
"  cause." 

I  refrain  from  mentioning  names :  they  rise  up  before  me  in 
Asia  and  Africa:  the  enterprisers  are  worthy  of  all  love  and 
esteem  for  personal  qualities :  what  they  are  entirely  deficient 
in  is  sanctified  common-sense  :  what  abounds  in  them  is 
•*  Egoism." 

2.  The  Solitary  Mission-Station. 

Next  comes  the  objection  to  solitary  and  single-handed 
Missions.  Our  Lord  sent  out  His  disciples  two  and  two.  The 
Romish  Church  makes  it  a  rule  absolute,  that  no  Agent  ordained 
or  lay  should  be  alone.  There  is  comfort  and  support  in  fellow- 
ship, and  there  is  the  check  imposed  by  the  presence  of  a  Brother 
against  the  first  temptations  to  Sin.  We  should  try  to  paint 
to  ourselves  the  Missionary  left  many  months  quite  alone  :  I 
have  known  it  as  a  public  officer,  and  in  my  youth  I  enjoyed  it, 
while  ruling  a  people,  whom  I  loved,  with  all  the  surroundings 
of  Anglo-Indian  comfort,  in  a  Climate,  which  during  the  winter 
season  is  very  delightful ;  but  during  the  hot  season  I  dwelt  in 
houses  in  the  midst  of  my  fellow-men.  But  the  Missionary  is 
often  in  a  deadly  climate,  for  a  very  long  time,  in  a  rudimentary 
kind  of  habitation,  without  medical  advice,  without  a  friend  to 
sustain  his  parting  spirit.  Many  holy  men  have  made  their 
solitary  moan,  and  no  one,  but  their  God,  has  known  how  they 
died.  It  does  sometimes  happen,  and  within  my  knowledge, 
that  a  particular  Missionary  is  of  such  a  disposition,  that  he 
cannot  get  on  with  his  colleagues,  and  has  to  be  consigned  to 
an  isolated  spot :  such  instances  of  infirmity  should  be  the  ex- 
ception :  the  Missionary,  who  has  failed  to  convert  himself,  will 
scarcely  be  an  efficient  agent  to  convert  others.  "  Better  is  he 
that  ruleth  his  spirit  than  he  who  taketh  a  city."  There  are  many 
men  fit  to  be  Missionaries,  but  not  fit  for  Holy  Orders.  The 
French  Romish  Priests  divide  their  Agents  into  P^res  and  Fr^res, 
both  celibate,  and  both  receiving  the  same  stipend,  i.e.  food, 
raiment,  and  home-roof. 


(     173     ) 

Men  should  not  be  left  alone  ;  the  Church-Missionary-Society 
have  had  to  disconnect  several  men,  lay  and  ordained,  for  sexual 
profligacy.  Solitude  and  a  hot  climate  are  hostile  to  morality, 
and  to  spiritual  advancement.  Early  marriages  are  destructive 
of  all  real  devotion  to  Missionary-work.  Many  men,  after  re- 
ceiving gratuitous  education  at  a  College,  steal  home  because 
of  a  sick  wife.  It  is  a  waste  of  our  sacred  funds.  Two  Mission- 
aries living  together,  or  a  Brotherhood,  are  comforted  by  society, 
discussion,  and  in  case  of  illness  being  looked  after. 

But  we  must  learn  to  distinguish  the  Solitary  Mission-Station 
of  a  permanent  character  from  the  Pioneer-Mission,  which  may 
perhaps  consist  of  one  man  feeling  his  way  :  all  things  must 
have  their  beginning.  I  quote  the  words  of  a  Missionary,  Mr. 
Blackett :  *'  The  Pioneer-Missionary  is  a  comparatively  inex- 
**  pensive  worker.  He  needs  but  to  be  planted  in  or  near  the 
'*  district,  which  he  has  to  open  up,  and  to  be  furnished  with  the 
"  means  of  travelling  through  it.  He  goes  with  a  tent,  and  two 
'*  or  three  helpers,  and  attendants,  or  he  travels  and  lives  in  a 
**  palki,  which  serves  him  as  a  carriage  by  day  and  as  a  house  by 
"  night.  He  preaches  in  village  after  village,  until  an  interest 
**  is  roused,  and  the  people  in  some  convenient  centre  begin  to 
"  ask  for  a  teacher  to  reside  among  them.  Then  a  Catechist  must 
"  be  placed  there,  and  his  house-rent  and  support  form  additional 
*'  expenditure  number  one.  As  the  interest  deepens,  the  Catechist 
"  wants  a  place  to  preach  in,  and  though  a  mud-hut  with  open 
"  sides  may  not  cost  much,  it  yet  forms  a  second  fresh  demand. 
**  It  seems  a  pity  not  to  utilize  the  place  in  the  daytime,  as  well 
**  as  in  the  evening,  especially  as  there  are  plenty  of  children 
"  needing  to  be  taught.  So  the  Society  is  called  upon  for  a 
"  Schoolmaster.  The  work  in  that  centre  outgrows  the  capabili- 
"  ties  of  the  Catechist,  and  he  tries  sundry  experiments  by 
"  placing  two  or  more  native  workers  together,  all  which  involves 
"  definite  increase  of  cost.  He  finds  the  women  hard  to  approach, 
*'  and  asks  for  a  Bible-woman  at  least  to  help  in  this  direction. 
*'  This  may  not  involve  any  very  heavy  expense,  and  yet  it  is 
•*  an  addition  to  the  Mission-Budget.  Christians  are  gathered, 
"  and  a  simple  Church  is  required,  which  entails  periodical 
*'  repair:  then  comes  the  necessity  of  a  Native  Pastor,  whom 
"  the  people  are  too  poor  to  support."  Here  we  part  from  Apos- 
tolical Methods.  Nobody  asked,  how  Titus  or  Timothy  meant 
to  support  themselves,  but  the  Englishman  of  the  Nineteenth 
Century  writes,  they  cannot  provide  a  stipend,  on  which  a  man  with 
Education  would  he  able  to  live.  This  pre-supposes  the  existence 
of  rich  extravagant  Missionary-Societies  during  the  last 
eighteen  Centuries. 

**  However  the  Missionary  being  set  free  extends  his  work 
*'  to   the  Regions   Beyond.     Fresh  villages   are   opened,  more 


(     174     ) 

"  Teachers  are  called  for,  and  the  necessity  of  a  Training-College 
*'  for  Teachers  is  felt.  The  Catechist  must  be  taught  in  a 
**  Divinity-School :  all  this  means  money. 

**  The  Missionary  is  always  asking  for  more.  It  would  be 
**  easy  to  indicate  the  number  of  steps  in  this  sketch  by  going 
**  more  fully  into  innumerable  details,  which  arise  in  the  actual 
"  working  of  a  Mission.  Meanwhile,  there  is  another  quarter 
**  from  which  urgent  demands  arise.  We  have  supposed  but 
"  one  Missionary  pushing  on  the  Evangelization  of  this  opening 
"  region.  What  if  he  break  down  ?  We  may  take  it  as  certain, 
**  that  he  will  within  a  few  years.  If  his  work  has  been  un- 
**  successful,  or  has  only  reached  the  initial  stages  of  success 
**  and  of  expenditure,  his  place  may  as  well  be  left  vacant  for 
•*  awhile.  But  if  something  has  been  accomplished,  if  the  Word 
"  has  begun  to  take  root,  we  dare  not  leave  it  untended.  A 
"  new  man  must  be  found,  and  if  possible  an  ApoUos,  suitable 
**  for  the  work  of  watering,  where  a  Paul  has  planted.  Where  is 
'•  he  to  come  from  ?  No  work  in  an  unhealthy  climate  can  be 
**  considered  properly  provided  for,  unless  it  be  doubly  manned, 
"  so  as  not  to  be  forsaken  in  case  of  a  break-down.  And  yet 
•*  this  is  an  ideal  state  of  things,  which  is  hardly  ever  attainable. 
**  The  fresh  man  must  be  drawn  from  somewhere,  and  the  least 
"  raw  of  the  recruits  must  be  put  in  to  fill  the  gap  thus  made." 

3.  The  Self-supporting  Mission. 

This  is  also  called  the  Faith-Mission  :  it  is  clear,  that  this  idea 
has  arisen  as  a  protest  against  the  extravagance,  the  want  of 
self-sacrifice,  the  worldliness,  attributed  rightly  or  wrongly  to 
the  snug  and  comfortable  Agents,  who  draw  salaries  from  the 
great  Societies,  which  have  so  far  obtained  the  characteristic 
of  an  endowed  Church-Establishment. 

I  give  some  extracts  to  exhibit  this  new  departure  :  **  We 
"  believe  that,  if  we  do  the  work,  which  God  has  called  us  to, 
"  He  will  move  the  heart  of  His  children  to  supply  the  money. 
*'  If  God  sends  out  workers.  He  will  also  send  supplies.  There 
'*  is  no  limit  to  the  measure,  in  which  God  can  work  on  Christian 
**  hearts  to  move  His  children  to  give  for  those,  who  have  gone 
"  forth  to  seek  the  Kingdom  of  God.  We  need  8000  Dollars  to 
**  keep  our  accounts  balanced,  and  we  ask  all  to  pray,  that  these 
"  things  may  be  added  to  us.  Has  any  Pastor  forgotten  to  take 
"  the  collection  ?     1888." 

And  again  :  *'  God  never  intended  His  heralds  to  be  hirelings 
**  at  all ;  or  men  with  fixed  assured  salaries,  as  secular  Servants, 
**  and  Commercial  employes.  The  Christian  world  has  begotten 
**  a  Missionary-system,  unknown  to  the  Lord,  and  His  Apostles. 
**  We  look  in  vain  in  the  New  Testament  for  any  authority  for 
"  what  we  see  on  every  side.     1887. 


(     175     ) 

"  India  has  fifty  unsalaried  Faith-Missionaries.  I  can  count 
**  over  two  hundred  in  the  world,  whom  God  feeds,  as  he  does 
"  the  birds,  and  they  have  all  things,  and  abound.  We  are 
**  praying  for  the  means  to  build  a  suitable  home  for  three 
"  thousand  Rupees.     God  is  with  our  Mission." 

And  again :  '*  I  have  been  without  money  since  Saturday,  but 
*'  truly  the  Lord  never  has  failed,  nor  will  fail.  It  is  good  to  be 
"  without  funds,  as  it  is  quite  a  luxury  to  stand  still,  and  see  the 
**  Salvation  of  the  Lord.  I  feel  less  anxiety  in  having  no  money 
"  than  in  looking  forward  with  but  little.      1887." 

Another  report  says  :  "  Nothing  in  the  locker."  A  third  noti- 
fies, that  they  have  left  off  eating  meat,  and  are  content  with 
vegetables.  Again  :  "  A  brother  in  Christ  sent  word,  that  he 
**  wished  me  to  come,  and  see  him.  I  went.  He  informed  me, 
**  that  God  had  impressed  him,  that  he  should  send  out  a  Mis- 
"  sionary.  As  I  was  consecrated  to  India,  he  was  satisfied,  that 
"  God  would  have  him  send  me.  Accordingly  he  put  the 
"  money  to  cover  all  expenses  to  India  in  my  hands.  It  now 
"  became  a  matter  of  conscience  between  me  and  God.  I  felt, 
**  that  God  would  have  me  go  to  India,  inasmuch  as  He  had 
**  provided  the  necessary  funds  unsolicited.  I  praise  God,  that 
**  I  am  here.  I  mean  by  His  Grace  to  do  His  will.  He  sancti- 
**  fies  me  through  and  through.     Glory  to  God  !     1887." 

Again  :  "  I  am  glad  you  feel  as  I  do  about  paid  Home-Agents. 
**  I  believe,  that  God  wants  a  larger  number  of  His  children  to 
**  have  a  part  in  the  work,  and  in  this  way  each  can  do  his  part 
**  without  pay. 

**  I  have  now  finished  the  second  year  of  self-support :  it 
**  seems  to  me,  that  the  support  of  my  work  comes  under  the 
"  head  of  Faith  in  God,  and  His  dear  children." 

The  writer,  a  woman-Missionary  in  Africa,  enumerates  every 
kind  of  present  received  by  her :  dollars,  barrels,  clothes,  corned 
meat,  etc.,  etc.:  she  adds:  "The  dear  Heavenly  Father  has' 
"  many  good  children,  and  their  number  is  rapidly  increasing : 
**  they  are  planning  for  the  conquest  of  the  world  to  Him,  whom 
**  we  adore." 

And  again,  from  Liberia,  W.  Africa :  *'  I  want  ten  acres  of 
"  land  in  the  city.  I  believe,  that  I  shall  get  it :  the  King  tells 
**  me,  that  he  will  build  me  a  house  to  live  in,  and  give  me  a 
**  farm  to  make  a  living  from,  and  a  boy  (a  slave)  to  wait  upon 
**  me.  I  am  going  to  take  out  six  or  seven  Missionaries  from 
**  America.  I  will  need  money,  of  course,  to  pay  their  way,  and 
*'  give  them  a  start,  and  then  I  believe  the  work  will  be  self- 
*'  supporting." 

Bishop  William  Taylor's  name,  both  in  South  India  and  West 
Africa,  is  so  connected  with  this  elastic  word  Self-Support,  that  it 
is  but  just  to  quote  his  very  words:  "Jesus  forbade  His  Disciples 


(     176    ) 

"  to  take  purse,  or  scrip,  or  extra  coat :  the  labourer  is  worthy 
*•  of  his  meat:  those,  who  preach  the  Gospel,  shall  live  by  the 
**  Gospel.  And  they  lacked  nothing.  The  Master's  Method  is 
•*  literally  practicable,  and  adequate,  now.  The  dividing-line 
"  betwixt  a  Missionary-Charity,  and  adequate,  and  reproductive, 
**  indigenous  support  for  God's  Ambassador  is,  (i)  To  depend 
**  entirely  on  native  resources  for  the  support  of  all  ministers, 
*'  school-teachers,  and  their  families  ;  (2)  to  welcome  the  co- 
*•  operation  of  God's  stewards  in  Christian  countries  for  providing 
**  money  for  our  Transit  and  Building  Fund.     1886." 

Another  feature  of  an  agricultural  enterprise  is  thus  recorded ; 
**  The  Government  allowed  the  Missionaries  to  take  land  for  a 
**  plantation,  employ  the  natives,  and  teach  and  preach  to  their 
*•  own  employes.  Agriculture  was  thus  undertaken,  not  for  the 
**  purpose  of  supporting  the  Mission,  but  to  be  able  to  evangelize  : 
"  no  profit  anticipated.     1885." 

In  spite  of  all  these  brave  words  I  look  upon  the  system,  or 
rather  want  of  system,  as  dangerous  and  bad,  and  what  is  most 
important  to  me,  as  likely  to  retard  the  Evangelization  of  the 
world.  One  of  Bishop  Taylor's  Missionaries,  a  Swiss,  who  had 
several  years  of  work  in  W.  Africa,  called  on  me  in  London  :  he 
would  not  say  one  word  against  his  leader,  or  his  system,  but 
he  had  given  it  up,  and  he  handed  to  me  for  perusal  a  bundle 
of  American  newspapers.  I  there  read  of  constant  appeals  for 
money:  large  piles  of  dollars  made  up:  great  liberality  of  sup- 
porters at  home.  I  had  to  think  it  out,  and  I  perceived,  that 
the  only  difference  was,  that  there  was  no  Home-Committee, 
and  no  Organization  to  maintain  a  certain  annual  supply,  and 
with  that  exception  these  so-called  self-supporting  Missions 
were  supported  by  money  and  goods  of  all  kinds ;  these  so- 
called  Faith-Missions  rested  a  good  deal  on  Works :  I  gathered, 
that  some  of  the  Missionaries  kept  the  Post-Office,  or  a  Grocers' 
Store,  or  taught  the  Portuguese  language :  this  was  the  Nine- 
teenth-Century analogue  of  Paul's  tent-making. 

I  quote  from  an  American  Presbyterian  paper  the  following : 
**  Nowhere  have  we  found  so  clear  and  comprehensive  a  state- 
•'  ment  of  Bishop  Taylor's  work,  and  its  method,  as  the  following 
"from  the  Presbyterian  Observer :  One  of  the  most  remarkable 
*'  men  of  the  Century  is  William  Taylor,  the  Methodist  *  Bishop 
**  for  Africa.'  He  has  begun  two  chains  of  Missions  across  Africa, 
'*  and  hopes  to  start  two  more  during  the  year.  His  Missions 
*'  are  founded  upon  principles,  novel,  but  sound.  He  enters 
*'  into  agreement  with  chief  and  people,  agreeing  on  his  part  to 
••  import  good  preachers  and  teachers  from  the  New  World,  free 
**  of  expense  to  the  tribe,  and  to  purchase  tools  and  machinery 
•'  for  industrial  schools.  The  chief  and  his  people,  on  their 
**  part,  are  required  to  give  a  thousand  acres  of  land  for  each 


(     177    ) 

**  school-farm ;  to  clear  and  plant,  immediately,  a  few  acres 
**  of  the  farm,  to  provide  subsistence  for  the  preachers  and 
*'  teachers ;  to  build  houses  for  the  workers,  and  to  pay  a  small 
**  monthly  fee  for  the  tuition  of  day-scholars.  Boys  and  girls 
"  may  work  for  their  tuition.  Those  wishing  a  full  course,  must 
**  be  allowed  to  remain  in  the  school  at  least  five  years.  By 
"  this  agreement  the  natives  are  made  to  feel,  that  they  have 
**  made  a  valuable  acquisition,  and  the  Mission  is  at  once  put 
**  upon  a  permanent,  self-supporting  basis." 

Formerly  the  Bishop  had  a  Committee  in  New  York,  but  now 
the  Bishop  says,  if  he  wished  a  Committee  for  Africa,  he  would, 
by  all  means,  have  the  same  Committee  as  before ;  but,  seeing 
the  necessity  for  a  change,  he  does  not  want  even  the  semblance 
of  a  Committee,  and  will  not  have  even  a  Treasurer,  as  such,  but 
has  selected  a  banker  to  receive  funds,  and  pay  them  out  on  his 
order ;  and  for  this  office  he  has  a  most  efficient  man,  and  for 
Secretary  he  has  a  many-good-sided  man.  The  two  men  could 
and  would  be  a  Committee  if  they  did  the  work  of  a  Committee  ; 
but  the  Bishop  will  personally  select  and  commission  all  Mis- 
sionaries, returning  every  two  years  if  necessary,  and  he  has 
arranged  with  the  Missionaries  in  the  Field  needing  food 
supplies,  so  that  they  will  make  a  careful  list  of  a  year's  needs, 
and  these,  when  approved  by  him,  will  be  filled  in  Liverpool, 
or  New  York,  or  partly  in  each.  Thus  the  Missionaries  will 
look  direct  to  the  Bishop  for  the  help  they  need,  and  to  him 
they  will  report.  Then  comes  the  moral  in  the  following  lines : 
"  Do  Missions  pay  7  Does  it  pay  to  send  men  and  women  to 
'*  Africa  to  sicken,  and  maybe  die  ?  At  best,  they  can't  do  much, 
"and  then  *  it  costs  so  much  money!'  Friends,  the  results 
**  are  with  God.  It  is  for  us  to  have  rather  more  of  the  mind, 
"  that  was  in  Christ,  *  who  vent  about  doing  good,'  and  sought 
"  not  His  own  comfort.  Let  us  give  good  support  to  those,  who 
*'  are  willing  to  go." 

Bishop  Taylor,  of  the  Episcopal  Methodist  Mission,  in  the 
United  States,  is  not  the  only  holder  of  such  theories.  I  quote 
from  the  Church-Missionary-Society-/«/^///!^^«c^r;  •*  Interest  has 
*•  lately  been  aroused,  in  the  large  circle,  who  are  readers  of  The 
*'  Christian,  by  a  series  of  articles,  that  appeared  in  that  paper, 
"  signed  '  A  Missionary.'  The  writer  was  Mr.  E.  F.  Baldwin, 
**  who  was  for  three  or  four  years  a  Missionary  of  the  '  North 
**  Africa  Mission,'  but  is  now  entirely  a  'free-lance'  on  his  own 
*'  account.  Mr.  Baldwin's  articles  were  forcibly  written,  and 
"  appealed  to  the  fervent,  and  very  independent,  spirit  now  so 
*'  widely  prevailing,  which  rebels  against  all  systematic  method 
**  and  organization,  which  very  often  produces  the  most  disas- 
"  trous  results.  The  gist  of  the  series  of  eighteen  articles  may 
"be   thus   summarily  expressed:    (i)  Modern  Missions  are  a 

12 


(     178     ) 

"  failure,  as  compared  with  the  Missions  of  the  Early  Church  ; 
*'  (2)  this  is  because  New  Testament-principles  and  practice 
"  have  been  departed  from  by  modern  Societies;  (3)  that  the 
*'  Divine  order  of  Missionary-work  is  laid  down  in  the  instruc- 
**  tions  of  our  Lord  to  the  twelve,  recorded  in  Matt,  x ;  (4)  that 
**  therefore  Missionaries  should  go  forth  without  purse,  scrip, 
*'  change  of  raiment,  staves  {i.e.  convenient  appointments  of 
"  travel),  and  salutations  by  the  way  {i.e.  the  engrossments 
**  of  human  friendship);  (5)  that  our  Lord's  own  life  was  the 
"  typical  example  of  this,  and  should  be  followed,  not  only  in 
'*  its  spirit,  but  in  its  external  features,  such  as  *  not  having 
"  where  to  lay  the  head,'  etc. ;  (6)  that  after  Pentecost  the 
**  Apostles  and  early  Christians  strictly  followed  Matt,  x; 
**  (7)  that  thousands  of  them  spread  themselves  over  the  earth, 
**  their  Faith  giving  them  miraculous  power,  and  their  life  of 
"  asceticism  winning  multitudes  to  their  cause  ;  (8)  that  similar 
'*  Faith  and  similar  asceticism  can  now  produce  similar  results 
"  (including  miracles) ;  (9)  that  'the  average  Missionary'  ruins 
"his  influence  by  his  unscriptural  worldliness;  (10)  that  no 
•'  money  collections  for  Missions  were  made  in  the  Early 
"  Church,  and  that  the  prominence  of  Money  in  our  Modern 
**  Missions  is  fatal  to  their  success;  (n)  that  the  only  Mis- 
**  sionaries,  whom  God  blesses,  are  the  '  free-lances,'  who  *  live 
"  on  the  Lord.'  " 

It  seems  scarcely  necessary  to  go  into  detail  to  reply  to  such 
transparent  absurdities  ;  however,  this  task  has  been  done,  and 
done  well,  in  the  Intelligencer.  I  presume,  that  it  is  the  narrow- 
ness of  vision,  the  absence  of  study  of  the  world  in  its  present 
and  past  social  relations,  that  prevents  the  intellect  of  good  men 
from  piercing  the  vast  gulf  fixed  between  the  first  and  the  nine- 
teenth Century.  Had  it  been  th-e  Divine  Will,  that  our  Lord 
should  have  appeared  at  this  epoch,  how  different  would  have 
been  His  environment:  the  same  diiference  applies  to  the 
environment  of  His  Disciples. 

But  worse  things  remained  behind.  Mr.  Baldwin,  who  had 
made  these  bold  assertions  as  to  the  success  of  his  Mission  in 
Mogad6r,  N.  Africa,  left  that  country  to  start  in  Syria  a  Mission 
on  the  so-called  Matthew  x  principles:  his  successor  admitted, 
that  it  was  "  not  possible  to  carry  out  the  instructions  of 
**  Matthew  x  in  connection  with  Gospel-work  in  Morocco  on 
**  an  extensive  scale,  or  for  any  considerable  period,  and  that 
•*  consequently  they  did  not  off'er  a  sufficient  basis,  on  which  to 
"  found  the  future  permanent  procedure  of  the  Mission." 

The  Editor  of  the  Reaper,  a  Periodical,  which  principally 
recorded  the  work  of  this  Mission,  with  regard  to  the  asserted 
power  of  Faith-healing  sadly  admits  that  "the  injunction,  'Heal 
"  the  sick,'  is  still  conjoined  with  the  command,   '  Preach  the 


(     179    ) 

"  Gospel,'  and  since  we  have  not  received  supernatural  power ,  in 
**  this  Mission  at  least,  to  perform  miracles  of  healing,  as  the 
**  Apostles  did,  we  believe,  that  it  is  incumbent  upon  us  to  do 
**  what  we  can  by  medical  skill,  and  the  use  of  natural  means,  to 
**  relieve  the  distress  of  the  people,  and  to  give  them  evidence, 
**  which  they  can  appreciate,  that  in  coming  to  them  in  the 
**  name  of  Jesus  we  seek  their  good. 

**  The  discontinuance  of  the  title  (Matthew  x  Missionaries) 
"  leaves  us  free  to  take  action  in  this  direction,  and  we  are  now 
*'  making  arrangements,  whereby  Messrs.  Geddes  and  Badger 
"  will  at  once  begin  a  course  of  medical  training,  and  probably 
"  other  members  of  the  Mission  will,  at  a  later  date,  follow  a 
**  similar  course.  The  medical  department  will,  however,  be 
**  made  strictly  subordinate,  and  accessary,  to  the  one  great  and 
'*  all-important  work  of  the  Mission  in  preaching  Christ  Jesus, 
**  as  the  Son  of  God  and  only  Saviour,  to  Moors  and  Jews  alike." 

In  his  report  of  the  present  actual  condition  of  the  work,  as 
he  observed  it  on  his  visit  to  Mogador,  and  according  to  the 
evidence  he  was  able  to  collect,  the  Editor  states : 

"  We  have  sorrowfully  to  admit,  that  there  is  grave  reason  to 
"  fear,  that  the  Reports  of  a  great  work  in  the  interior  have  been 
"  greatly  exaggerated,  if  not  in  part  entirely  false.  These 
"  Reports  were  sent  to  us  in  all  good  faith ;  but  Abraham,  upon 
'*  whose  testimony  they  mainly  rest,  has  proved  unfaithful. 

"  Of  those  known  to  our  Missionaries  personally,  who  pro- 
*'  fessed  Conversion,  very  few  have  remained  faithful :  .  .  . 
**  The  work,  in  one  sense,  may  be  said  practically  to  have  yet 
*'  to  commence,  and  the  difficulties  are  many  and  great." 

Hence  it  would  seem  that,  instead  of  more  than  a  hundred 
converts,  there  were  few  or  none,  and  that  the  glowing  reports 
were  fiction,  and  not  fact. 

The  remarks,  which  I  quote,  are  taken  from  the  pages  of 
Regions  Beyond,  and  a  paper  on  the  Mogad6r  Mission  by  Mrs. 
Grattan  Guinness.  I  should  not  have  ventured  to  make  them  on 
my  own  authority,  though  I  certainly  agree  with  them,  and  I  have 
visited  Morocco. 

The  same  writer  contributes  a  paper  to  Regions  Beyond, 
1 89 1,  on  Self-supporting  Missions  in  Central  Africa,  a  portion 
of  which  I  quote  : 

**  The  subject  of  Self-supporting  Missions  has  been  brought 
"  to  the  front  a  good  deal  of  late,  in  connection  with  certain 
**  work  in  Africa.  It  is  an  exceedingly  important  one  to  all, 
"  who  are  interested  in  the  spread  of  the  Gospel  in  the  Dark 
"  Continent,  and  we  propose,  therefore,  briefly  to  consider  it  in 
"  these  pages. 

"  The  unspeakable  needs  and  claims  of  Heathendom  ;  the 
"  miserably  small  financial  resources  available  for  its  Evangeliza- 


(     180     ) 

**  tion ;  the  short  remainder  of  this  Gospel-age ;  and  the  con- 
**  siderable  number  of  volunteers  for  Missionary-work,  all 
"  naturally  conspire  to  make  many  ask,  Is  there  no  possibility 
"  of  Self-supporting  Missions  ?  The  question  we  propose  to 
"  consider  is,  Are  such  Missions  practicable  in  Central  Africa? 
**  Bishop  Taylor  and  some  others  think  so,  and  have  attempted 
**  to  establish  such  in  Liberia,  and  at  other  points  on  the  West 
**  Coast,  in  the  Congo  region,  and  in  Loango  and  Angola.  It 
'*  is  now  several  years,  since  this  attempt  was  commenced ;  and 
"  though  those,  who  have  made  it,  would  probably  say,  not  long 
*•  enough  fairly  to  judge  of  the  experiment,  we  are  inclined  to 
"  think  the  period  is  quite  sufficient  to  afford  at  any  rate  fair 
"  grounds  for  a  comparison  between  this  special  plan  of  evan- 
**  gelizing  the  Heathen  and  other  plans. 

*'  We,  of  course,  sympathize  deeply  with  the  end  in  view,  and, 
"  as  regards  Bishop  Taylor's  Missions  especially,  admire  the 
**  self-denying  labours  of  their  founder.  We  love  and  esteem 
**  him  personally,  though  we  cannot  but  believe,  that  he  and 
"  some  others  have  adopted  a  very  seriously  mistaken  Mis- 
**  sionary  policy,  causing  their  efforts  to  be  more  costly  and  less 
*'  effective  than  ordinary  Missions." 

The  arguments  to  prove  this  thesis  are  overwhelming,  and, 
brought  from  experience  of  the  Ba-Lolo  Mission  on  the  Congo. 
It  is  remarked,  that  **  there  are  a  few  spheres,  in  which  Self- 
supporting  Missions  may  be  carried  on,  but  they  are  not  to 
be  found  in  tropical  countries,  and  least  of  all  in  Central 
Africa.  In  sparsely  populated  regions,  where  the  soil  and 
climate  admit  of  colonization,  and  where  many  of  the  re- 
sources of  Civilization,  such  as  roads,  carts,  and  beasts  of 
burden,  are  available.  Christian  emigrants  may  find  time  and 
opportunity  to  sustain  themselves,  and  yet  do  some  amount 
of  Missionary-work.  This  is  the  case  in  South  Africa,  in 
Natal,  and  in  our  Australian  and  Canadian  Colonies.  But 
such  workers  ought  no  more  to  be  called  Missionaries,  than 
men,  who  give  some  of  their  time  on  Sundays  to  Gospel-work 
at  home  should  be  called  Ministers.  It  only  confuses  the 
subject  to  confound  such  with  Missionaries  to  the  Heathen  in 
Central  Africa.  In  China  and  in  India  Self-support  is  scarcely 
possible,  unless  Englishmen  care  to  compete  with  natives,  who 
can  live  on  two  or  three  pence  a  day.  Missionaries  must 
either  be  supported  by  the  natives,  or  from  home  ;  but  in 
Central  Africa  the  thing  is  simply  impossible,  if  rapid  and 
effective  Evangelization  of  the  Dark  Continent  is  to  be 
attempted." 

The  writer  then  carries  the  war  into  Bishop  Taylor's  own 
Mission.  I  longed  myself  to  express  similar  opinions,  but 
refrained.      The  head  of  a  great  Missionary-Association  with 


(     181     ) 

Missions  in  W.  Africa  has  stepped  down  into  the  lists  to  do 
battle  for  my  views.  **  The  Liberian  mission  of  Bishop  Taylor 
*'  is  an  illustration  of  this.  It  is  situated  on  the  coast,  where 
**  steamers  call  regularly,  and  among  professedly  Christian 
*'  negroes,  a  very  much  easier  sphere  consequently  than  the 
"  wholly  unevangelized  interior,  a  thousand  miles  from  the 
"  coast.  Between  fifty  and  sixty  Missionaries  have,  at  very 
**  heavy  expense,  been  sent  out  since  1887  in  connection  with 
**  this  Mission,  mostly  from  America.  Six  of  the  party  died, 
"  twenty-seven  (including  families)  withdrew,  and  nineteen 
*'  remained  last  year.  These  were  distributed  in  sixteen  stations  ; 
**  so  that  a  'station'  was  for  the  most  part  a  solitary  man, 
**  without  any  helpers  or  resources.  What  has  been  the 
*•  Missionary  result  of  this  effort  ?  Some  houses  have  been 
"  built  by  the  Missionaries'  own  hands,  and  some  vegetable 
*'  gardens  cleared  and  planted,  and  some  coffee-plantations  in 
**  the  same  way.  But  no  attempt  has  been  made  to  learn  the 
"  native  language,  to  translate  the  Gospel  into  it,  or  to  evan- 
"  gelize  the  Kru  people.  The  Missionaries  were  instructed  to 
"  preach  as  they  could  in  '  pigeon  English '  (which  some  of  the 
"  Kru  understand),  and  to  try  and  teach  the  children  English  ! 
"  No  heathen  congregations  were  gathered,  no  itinerating 
**  attempted,  and  no  preaching  to  the  Heathen.  One,  who 
**  worked  three  years  in  this  Mission,  and  whose  heart  was 
**  burning  to  evangelize  the  Kru  people,  found  it  impossible  to 
**  get  time  for  the  study  of  the  language.  He  had  to  build  his 
"  house,  clear  and  cultivate  his  garden,  to  light  his  fire  and 
*'  cook  his  food,  and  even  to  wash  his  clothes,  for  of  course  he 
**  had  no  means  of  paying  a  servant ;  he  had  no  time  for  linguistic 
**  study,  or  even  Gospel-preaching  among  the  Heathen,  which 
"  might  have  been  imagined  to  have  been  the  sole  object  for 
*'  which  he  left  his  country." 

The  writer  concludes  with  the  following  remark:  "We  trust 
**  that  all,  who  have  been  led  to  attempt  from  right  desires  this 
**  wrong  plan,  will  do  as  we  did  ourselves,  for  we  once  tried  it. 
*•  There  are  diversities  of  gifts.  The  labourer  is  worthy  of  his 
**  hire.  Do  not  employ  your  war-horse  to  draw  a  cart  of  sand 
*'  and  hay." 

4  {a)  Native  Agents.     (3)  Independent   Native   Church. 

Up  to  this  time  we  have  only  been  dealing  with  means  to  an 
end ;  we  now  have  to  consider  that  end.  The  white  Agents 
must  in  time  disappear :  the  native  Agents  will  remain  for  all 
time,  and  consolidate  into  a  Native  Church,  an  entirely  inde- 
pendent Native  Church  :  I  propose  to  treat  the  two  subjects 
separately. 


(     182     ) 

(a)  Native  Agents. 

When  the  Missionary  himself  exhibits  the  character  of 
Self-consecration,  and  Self-sacrifice,  he  can  enforce  those 
characteristics  on  his  flock  ;  but  not  otherwise.  For  the  welfare 
of  the  Native  Church,  and  for  the  spread  of  the  Gospel  by  the 
agency  of  Native  Evangelists  to  the  Regions  Beyond,  it  is  most 
desirable  to  maintain  the  greatest  simplicity  of  life,  and  the 
great  grace  of  gratuitous  ministration,  the  consecration  of  body 
and  soul,  with  a  mere  provision  for  the  humblest  human  wants. 
I  rejoice  to  see  the  steady  opposition  to  the  entertainment  of 
paid  Native  Agents  in  China ;  or,  in  other  words,  providing  with 
a  salary  a  crowd  of  hungry  converts,  well  deserving  the  name  of 
'*  Rice-Christians." 

*'  The  injurious  effects  of  the  Paid-Agent  system  on  the  mass 
**  of  the  Chinese  population,  outside  of  the  Church,  are  perhaps 
"  still  greater.  The  a  priori  judgment  of  the  Chinaman,  as  to 
*'  the  motive  of  one  of  his  countrymen  in  propagating  a  foreign 
''  Religion,  is,  that  he  is  hired  or  bribed  to  do  it.  When  he 
*'  learns,  that  the  native  preacher  is  in  fact  paid  by  foreigners, 
**  he  is  confirmed  in  his  judgment.  What  the  motive  is,  which 
*'  actuates  the  foreign  Missionary,  a  motive  so  strong,  that  he  is 
"  willing  to  waste  life,  and  money,  in  what  seems  a  fruitless 
"  enterprise,  he  is  left  to  imagine.  The  most  common  expla- 
*•  nation  is,  that  it  is  a  covert  scheme  for  buying  adherents  with 
"  a  view  to  political  movements  inimical  to  the  State.  Of 
"  course  it  is*  supposed,  that  no  loyal  native  will  have  anything 
*'  to  do  with  such  a  movement.  If  the  Chinaman  be  told,  that 
*'  this  enterprise  is  prompted  by  disinterested  motives,  and 
**  intended  for  the  good  of  his  people,  he  is  incredulous.  The 
"  result  is,  that  many  well-disposed  Chinamen  of  the  better 
**  classes,  who  might  be  brought  under  Christian  influences,  are 
**  repelled,  and  those,  who  actually  find  their  way  into  the 
"  Church,  are  composed  largely  of  two  opposite  classes :  those 
**  whose  honest  convictions  are  so  strong,  that  they  outweigh 
**  and  overcome  all  obstacles;  and  unworthy  persons,  to  whom 
**  that  feature  in  Mission-work  which  we  are  controverting  is  its 
"  chief  attraction." 

So  much  for  Asia:  here  speaks  a  Missionary  from  Africa :  "  I  am 
"  still  of  opinion,  that  the  policy  of  paying  Africans  for  spiritual 
**  work  with  European  money  is  a  false  one.  The  Native  Agents 
*'  do  not  feel  as  they  should  towards  the  Society.  Self-denial 
**  scarcely  ever  enters  their  minds.  While  it  is  not  easy  to 
*'  introduce  new  measures  for  existing  Agents,  might  not  a  better 
**  policy  be  introduced  with  regard  to  new  ones  ?  " 

This  is  the  message  from  Oceania :  "  The  Polynesian  Evange- 
"  lists  received  clothing,  and  laboured  with  their  own  hands. 


(     183     ) 

"  The  principles  of  most  Societies  point  to  the  policy  of  raising 
"  up  an  establishment  of  Native  Pastors,  upon  a  self-supporting, 
"  self-governing,  and  self-extending,  system.  The  more  these 
*'  are  enforced,  the  better." 

The  necessity  of  Native  Teachers  is  admitted  by  all,  but  has 
not  been  encouraged  by  all  as  much  as  it  ought  to  be.  The 
black  net  to  catch  souls  must  be  let  down,  but  held  in  its  place 
by  white  corks.  Hear  what  Missionaries,  who  do  employ 
Teachers  with  marvellous  success,  write  :  "  The  necessity  for 
"  careful  European  supervision  becomes  the  more  urgent  as  the 
**  number  of  Natives,  who  become  teachers,  increases.  It  is  a 
**  wonderful  evidence  of  the  hold,  which  the  Gospel  takes  on  the 
**  natures  of  these  people,  that,  at  so  early  a  period  in  the  history 
*'  of  the  Mission,  so  many  are  found  willing  to  be  trained,  and 
*'  fit  to  be  trained,  as  Evangelists  to  their  fellow-countrymen. 
**  The  rapid  progress  of  the  Gospel  is  assured,  if  this  responsive 
"  spirit  continues  to  be  manifested.  At  the  same  time,  it  must 
*'  be  borne  in  mind,  that  at  present,  there  are  at  best  but  young 
**  converts  to  Christianity.  Though  their  knowledge  of  the 
"  truths  of  the  Gospel,  after  a  course  of  training  at  one  of  the 
"  Mission-Institutions,  may  be  such  as  amply  to  qualify  them 
"  for  the  duties  of  teachers,  strength  of  principle,  and  that  fine 
*'  Christian  spirit,  which  can  discern  and  maintain  the  right 
"  course  in  times  of  temptation  and  difficulty,  cannot  be  acquired 
"  with  equal  facility.  To  leave  such  men  to  stand  entirely  alone 
*'  for  any  length  of  time  among  their  own  Heathen  countrymen, 
*'  without  the  moral  support,  stimulus,  and  counsel,  afforded  by 
*'  frequent  visits  from  a  European  superintendent,  would  not  be 
"  wise  or  kind.'* 

I  quote  further :  '*  The  Missionary  should  utilize  to  a  greater 
**  degree  and  more  suitable  manner  than  has  hitherto  been  done 
"  all  available  native  piety  and  talent  for  Mission-service,  till 
*'  Indian  Churches  are  able  to  appoint  their  own  Missionaries. 
"  When  such  is  the  case,  (may  that  happy  day  soon  come)  1 
"  England's  responsibility  will  cease.  But  till  then  let  all 
*'  vacancies,  as  they  occur,  be  filled  up  by  qualified  natives  of 
'*  the  country.  Two,  probably  three,  Indian  Missionaries  could 
"  always  be  engaged  for  the  pay  and  allowances  of  one  European 
*'  Missionary.  This  will  greatly  multiply  Missionary-power.  If 
"  there  be  increased  Missionary-power  at  work,  greater  results 
'•  may  be  expected,  with  God's  blessing.  The  true  solution  of 
"  the  Missionary-problem  in  India  does  not  lie  in  the  direction 
*'  of  encouraging  large  numbers  of  European  Missionaries  to  go 
"  out,  as  celibates  and  ascetics,  but  in  earnest  efforts  to  multiply 
*'  an  efficient  and  consecrated  Native  Ministry.  This  is  the  key- 
"  note.  Let  such  efforts  be  honestly  made,  and  I  am  sure 
**  qualified  native  Missionaries  will  be  forthcoming.     But  they 


(     184     ) 

**  must  be  treated  as  brethren,  and  not  as  servants;  as  accredited 
"  agents,  like  the  European  Missionaries,  and  not  as  their  sub- 
**  ordinates  and  helpers,  as  at  present.  Formerly  qualified 
**  converted  natives  used  to  offer  their  services  to  Missions,  and 
**  their  services  were  gladly  entertained.  Some  of  these  men 
"  have  gone  to  their  rest,  some  have  left  the  Mission-service, 
**  and  others,  though  still  in  the  field,  are  not  much  pleased 
**  with  the  treatment  they  receive.  If  a  more  liberal  policy  were 
*'  pursued,  that  is  to  say,  if  native  Missionaries  were  regarded 
'*  by  Missionary-Societies  as  their  Agents  in  the  same  sense  as 
**  European  Missionaries  were,  made  the  members  of  Mission- 
**  committees,  and  allowed  independent  charge  of  stations,  men 
'*  of  education  and  parts  would  be  willing  to  become  Mission- 
*•  aries.  Everybody  knows  that  such  men,  as  a  rule,  do  not  at 
*'  present  offer  their  services  to  Missions.  Here  is  evidently 
**  much  room  for  improvement,  and  if  Missionary-Societies  are 
**  really  anxious  to  satisfy  their  constituents,  to  secure  greater 
•*  Missionary-power  and  to  economize  Mission-expenditure.,  they 
**  should  inaugurate  the  policy  above  adverted  to.  The  sooner 
•*  it  is  done  the  better.     1889." 

But  there  is  a  limitation.  The  Native  ordained  Evangelist 
and  Pastor  will,  under  any  form  of  Church  Organization,  claim 
to  be  on  an  equality  with  the  Missionary  ;  but  there  must  always 
be  one  exception,  and  the  control  of  the  expenditure  of  the 
funds,  supplied  by  the  Home-Committee,  must  be  reserved  to 
the  Missionary  only ;  while  the  Native  Church  has  control  over 
its  own  funds. 

The  Native  Agent  must  be  trained  :  hear  what  Mackye  says  : 
**  Men  say,  *  The  blood  of  the  martyrs  is  the  seed  of  the 
**  Church,'  but  one  dozen  live  Missionaries  are  worth  vastly 
"  more  to  Africa  than  hundreds  of  dead  ones,  who  never  got 
**  even  a  fair  start  at  work.  The  agency  by  which,  and 
"  probably  by  which  alone,  we  can  Christianize  Africa,  is 
**  the  African  itself.  But  he  must  first  be  trained  for  that 
•'  work,  and  trained,  too,  by  the  European  in  Africa.  Just 
"  as  the  mountains  of  ironstone  in  the  Continent  are  perfectly 
**  useless,  until  first  quarried,  smelted,  and  forged  by  European 
"  tools,  which  were  also  once  nothing  but  ore,  but  by  means 
**  of  which  alone  it  is  possible  to  convert  the  raw  African 
*'  ore  into  implements  exactly  similar  to  themselves,  and 
**  capable  of  replacing  them  in  future  work  of  the  kind,  so 
"  the  untrained  African  mind  is  absolutely  powerless  to  effect 
**  any  beneficent  results,  unless  first  thoroughly  trained  by  those 
"  of  European  tempering.  This,  too,  must  be  done  in  Africa 
*'  itself,  for  if  the  European  in  Africa  has  proved  a  difficulty, 
"  the  African  educated  in  Europe  has  proved  a  still  more 
**  unsuitable  instrument  for  his  country's  good.     It  behoves  us, 


(     185     ) 

**  therefore,  to  select  with  the  greatest  care  a  few  centres,  to 
**  which  Europeans  shall  have  easy  access,  and  where  they  shall 
**  be  able  to  live  under  comparatively  healthy  conditions,  centres 
"  within  easy  reach  of  Natives  within  a  wide  area.  Mombasa 
**  has  proved  a  failure  as  to  health,  while  the  introduction  of 
"  the  freed-slave-element  would  alone  ensure  the  ruin  of  an 
**  Institution  for  the  training  of  freemen.  I  have  seen  hosts  of 
"  specimens  of  the  men  turned  out  at  the  Institutions  of  Nassick, 
**  Mombasa,  and  Zanzibar,  where  freed  slaves  are  educated,  but 
**  the  best  I  have  yet  met  was  bad.  Modern  Educationalists 
"  have  come  to  recognise  the  fact,  that  it  is  not  enough  to  cram 
**  into  the  student  a  certain  amount  of  book-knowledge  ;  the 
**  eye  must  be  trained  to  see,  and  the  hand  to  reproduce,  just 
"  as  much  as  the  mind  must  be  trained  to  reason.  Hence  none 
*'  but  teachers,  born  teachers,  need  ever  expect  to  be  able  to 
*'  train  Africans  to  be  teachers  in  their  turn.  Unless  this  point 
"  be  carefully  guarded,  it  will  ever  prove  the  weak  link  in  the 
"  chain.  It  has  too  often  been  supposed,  that  because  a  man 
**  is  a  University-graduate,  or  has  taken  Holy  Orders,  that, 
"  therefore,  he  knows  how  to  teach.  Few  greater  delusions 
**  have  prevailed,  and  Africa  has  suffered  in  consequence. 

**  The  staff  at  each  educational  centre  must  never  be  allowed 
"  to  fall  below  a  minimum  of  four.  The  scheme  I  have  drafted 
"  is  by  no  means  new.  It  is  much  the  same,  as  that  adopted 
"  by  the  Monks  for  the  Christianization  of  Europe,  and  which 
**  is  pursued  in  Africa  by  the  Romish  Church  to  the  present  day. 
**  Only  their  strength  lay  in  the  Papal  sanction,  and  in  the 
"  possession  of  relics,  and  a  pretended  power  for  miracles.  Our 
"  strength  will  lie  in  the  dissemination  of  Truth,  and  careful 
"  preparation  of  Native  minds,  first  to  absorb  and  then  to  impart 
"  to  others  this  knowledge.  In  this  way  the  students  from  our 
**  central  seminaries  will  become  a  connecting-link  between 
**  the  very  un-African  European,  and  the  mass  of  their  fellow- 
*'  countrymen.  Such  connecting-links  are  in  accordance  with 
"  all  analogy,  both  in  nature  and  in  art.  We  do  not  propel  our 
*'  ships  by  setting  the  piston  to  beat  and  thump  at  the  water 
"  direct.  To  bring  the  piston  into  direct  contact  with  the  sea 
*'  would  be  to  cool  the  piston,  condense  the  steam,  and  thus 
"  entail  much  loss  of  power.  But  we  keep  the  piston  in  its 
*'  place,  dry  and  hot,  and  make  it  turn  a  crank-shaft,  which  has 
"  at  its  cold  seaward  end  an  arrangement  of  blades  admirably 
*'  contrived  for  pushing  against  the  liquid  element. 

"  It  seems  to  be  overlooked  by  many  apparently  zealous 
"  advocates  of  Missions,  that  in  the  command  to  go  and 
**  Christianize  the  Nations,  we  are  expressly  told  the  Method 
**  by  which  we  are  to  achieve  success,  viz.,  by  Teaching 
**  them." 


(     186     ) 

The  necessity  of  a  Staff  of  Native  Teachers,  Native  Preachers, 
Native  Medical  practitioners,  Native  itinerants.  Native  colpor- 
teurs of  the  Scriptures,  and  Religious  Books,  and  of  Native 
Church  Officers,  has  been  universally  recognised.  The  health 
and  life  of  the  white  man  is  precarious,  and  he  can  neither 
speak,  nor  act,  nor  travel  about,  nor  get  access  to  the  people,  as 
one  of  their  countrymen  can.  There  is  no  necessity  for  hard 
and  fast  rules,  with  the  one  exception,  that  c^re  should  be  taken 
not  to  make  it  a  salaried  Profession,  paid  by  Funds  from  alien 
Associations  :  we  find  no  trace  of  anything  of  that  kind  in  the 
New  Testament,  and  the  media&val  Missionaries  gave  nothing 
but  food  and  raiment.  Training  Institutions  are  a  necessity  to 
keep  up  the  supply.  But  all  that  is  done  is  but  a  prelude  to  the 
establishment  of  an  Independent  Native  Church,  as  described 
in  the  next  sub-Section. 

{b)   Independent  Native  Churches. 

This  heading  presupposes  some  kind  of  Organization,  differing 
according  to  the  idiosyncrasy  of  the  Church,  which  sent  out  the 
Mission.  However  much  denominationalists  may  be  sure  m 
their  own  minds,  that  their  system  is  the  best,  and  the  only  one, 
the  wide  observer  can  read  their  remarks  with  a  smile.  There 
are  many  forms  of  Organization,  possessing  each  their  special 
weakness,  and  compensating  advantages,  and  no  arrangements 
of  the  men  of  this  generation  will  prevent  future  generations 
altering  and  refashioning  the  human  frame,  or  introducing  an 
entirely  new  one.  May  God  in  His  mercy  grant,  that  they  will 
not  refashion  the  doctrines,  re-interpret  the  Scriptures,  or  assert 
new  Revelations  !     It  looks  very  like  it. 

Lord  Northbrook  remarked  in  1879:  *'  What  precise  form  of 
"  Church-Government,  or  even  of  dogmatic  theology,  the  Indian 
'*  Church  may  assume,  I  believe  no  man  can  see,  and  I,  for  one, 
**  by  no  means  consider,  that  it  is  a  thing  to  be  desired,  that  the 
**  Native  Church  should  take  upon  itself  any  particular  form  of 
**  Christianity,  which  at  present  prevails  in  this  country  or  in 
**  Europe.  Our  dogmatic  differences^  as  it  seems  to  me,  have 
•*  arisen  from  the  history  of  Europe  and  of  England,  and  it 
**  seems  to  me,  that  it  is  some  advantage  to  the  Christians  of 
**  India  that  they  may  go,  if  they  please,  to  the  first  Truths  of  the 
"  Gospel  without  guarding  themselves  at  every  point  against 
"  what  people  are  pleased  to  call  the  heresy  of  their  neigh- 
*'  bours." 

After  all,  the  formation  of  Christian  communities,  and  the 
creation  of  Christian  life,  is  the  object  of  Missions.  I  make 
this  quotation  as  a  warning  and  an  encouragement :  "  In 
*'  estimating  the  advance,  which  has  been  made  in  developing 
**  a  higher  type  of  Christian  life,  I  fully  recognise  the  difficulty 


(     187     ) 

"  of  obtaining  reliable  data  for  observation,  and  I  do  not  forget, 
**  how  misleading  it  often  is,  to  apply  a  standard  in  calculating 
*•  the  growth  of  moral  perceptions  and  spiritual  instinct.  The 
"  Natives  have  been  nominal  Christians  for  more  than  fifty  years. 
*'  The  time  has  been  long  enough  to  effect  a  great  change,  but 
"  let  our  demands  be  reasonable.  It  is  unreasonable  to  expect 
**  from  a  people,  who  had  sunk  so  low,  a  type  of  exceptional 
*'  holiness,  or  to  complain,  because  they  are  not  paragons  of 
**  virtue,  and  superior  to  the  grosser  forms  of  vice.  I  have  no 
"  hesitation  in  saying,  that  a  very  great  change  has  been  wrought, 
*'  and  a  change  as  great  as  I  have  a  right  to  expect.  I  have  met 
"  and  addressed  large  assemblies  of  Native  Christians ;  I  have 
"  met  in  conference  more  than  two  hundred  Native  Pastors.  I 
**  have  attended  meetings  at  the  college,  where  more  than  one 
"  hundred  students  were  present.  I  have  had  quiet  talks  with 
**  individuals.  I  have  talked  with  Missionaries  and  foreigners 
*'  about  the  converts,  and  unhesitatingly  I  affirm,  that  a  great  and 
*'  unmistakably  Christian  work  has  been  accomplished.  Native 
"  Christians  have  not  yet  conquered  their  characteristic  National 
*'  and  social  weaknesses,  but  the  force  of  new  Christian  principles 
"  is  felt,  and  the  Divine  Truths  of  the  Gospel  are  transforming, 
"  by  a  sure  process,  the  character  of  the  people.  It  is  possible, 
**  to  throw  over  Paganism  a  Christian  dress  without  changing 
"  the  old  Pagan  heart  or  eradicating  the  Pagan  nature.  I  am 
*'  persuaded,  that  more  than  this  has  been  done.  The  Pagan 
"  nature  has,  in  many  cases,  been  brought  into  subjection  to  the 
**  mind  of  Christ,  and  the  subjection  has  advanced  as  rapidly  as 
"  the  circumstances  surrounding  these  people  would  permit.  I 
"  place  no  bounds  on  the  power  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  but  I  do 
"  not  forget,  that  the  effects  of  human  environment  is  still  seen 
'*  in  those,  who  are  manifestly  the  subjects  of  the  Spirit's  power." 

A  voice  from  Melanesia  tells  us  that :  "  One  hindrance  to  the 
**  spiritual  advancement  of  the  people  is  to  be  found  in  the  in- 
**  fluence  of  a  certain  class  of  foreigners,  who  have  settled  in 
*'  the  Islands.  I  gladly  recognise  the  fact,  that  there  are  credit- 
**  able  exceptions  ;  but  my  Report  would  not  be  complete,  if  I 
**  did  not  refer  to  the  foreign  elements  being  in  too  many  cases 
*'  a  distinct  obstacle  to  the  Christian  life  of  the  Native  churches." 

We  must  not  expect  to  find  Angels,  but  we  may  hope  not  to 
find  surface  Christians  or  downright  hypocrites,  or  dull  forma- 
lists, or,  as  may  be  said  of  the  Romish  converts,  the  same  men 
using  different  fetishes,  and  repeating  different,  but  still  unin- 
telligible, formulae. 

Hear  the  thoughts  of  another  speculating  on  the  possibilities 
of  the  future  Native  Church  :  "  By  what  Organization  governed, 
*'  to  what  precise  creeds  affiliated,  I  for  my  part  do  not  pretend 
**  to   foresee.      It   is  being   hewn   out   now   by   many   hands, 


(     188     ) 

"  furnished  from  many  countries.  But  the  main  burden  of  the 
**  growing  work  must  ere  long  be  taken  up  by  the  children  of 
**  the  Indian  soil.  It  is  not  beyond  the  bounds  of  possibility, 
**  that  the  native  Church  may  in  time  produce  its  own  Apostle, 
**  destined  to  lead  his  countrymen  in  myriads  to  the  feet  of 
**  Christ.  The  story  of  Buddha  may  renew  itself  within  its 
"  pale." 

Every  Native  Community,  even  before  a  Church  had  come 
into  existence,  should  be  taught  and  compelled  to  be  self- 
supporting,  providing  for  the  modest  stipend  of  its  own  Pastor, 
the  Church-expenses,  and  the  education  of  the  children.  No 
material  inducement  should  be  held  out  to  a  catechumen  to 
accept  the  new  Religion.  In  one  Mission  the  rule  is,  that  no 
Church  should  be  organized  before  the  Community  has  selected 
a  man  for  their  Pastor,  and  provided  the  means  of  his  support : 
this  principle  ought  to  be  universally  accepted,  and  no  progress 
of  a  permanent  character  can  be  anticipated  if  it  be  neglected. 

I  quote  another  writer  from  India:  '*  Many  of  the  Christians 
**  are  very  poor,  but  not  a  few  are  fairly  well-to-do,  and  the 
**  Missionary  expresses  disappointment,  that  no  advance  is 
"  perceptible  in  the  matter  of  liberality.  He  rightly  regards 
**  this  as  one  of  the  indications  of  the  feebleness  of  spiritual 
"  life.  'When  self-denial  for  Christ  is  an  unknown  quality, 
**  there  never  can  be  much  real  life.*  And  he  strongly 
**  emphasizes  his  conviction,  founded  upon  observation  and 
"  experience,  that  '  from  the  very  first,  converts  should  be 
**  taught  that  nothing  whatever  will  be  done  for  them,  that 
"  they  can  possibly  do  for  themselves.' " 

So  far  for  the  duty  of  the  converts ;  now  what  is  the  duty  of 
the  Committee  and  the  Missionary  ?  Mr.  Venn  said  to  an 
African  Merchant,  who  visited  him  in  London  :  "  You  are 
spending  your  money  in  travelling  for  your  own  pleasure ;  why 
do  you  not  contribute  to  the  support  of  your  own  clergy  ? " 
The  answer  was :  *'  Treat  us  as  men,  and  we  will  behave  like 
"  men ;  but  so  long  as  you  treat  us  as  children,  we  shall  behave 
**  like  children :  let  us  manage  our  own  Church-affairs,  and  we 
**  shall  then  pay  our  own  clergy."  This  conversation  led  to  the 
partial,  only  partial,  emancipation  of  the  Church  of  Sierra 
Leone :  it  is  still  under  a  white  Bishop,  paid  from  the  taxation 
of  the  Colony :  Mr.  Venn  was  a  Statesman,  and  took  the  hint ; 
he  went  as  far  as  at  that  date  he  could  venture,  and  appointed 
a  Negro  to  be  Bishop  of  the  Niger-Delta:  narrow-minded  views 
have  now  prevailed,  and  the  Committee  has  decided,  that  a 
Negro,  however  educated  and  godly,  is  not  fit  to  be  an  inde- 
pendent Bishop.  The  Negro  would  turn  out  all  the  white  men, 
if  he  had  the  chance,  as  some  day  he  will  have. 

It  is  still  a  great  scandal,  and  reproach,  that  after  a  Century 


(     189     ) 

of  Mission-work,  and  with  native  Christians  in  the  fifth  genera- 
tion, we  have  not  a  single  Native  Independent  Church  with  its 
own  Independent  Native  Bishop,  and  self-supporting  Pastorate. 
It  is  an  instance  of  the  Egoism,  and  Albocracy,  of  the  English 
character:  there  is  one  Negro  Bishop  of  the  American  Church 
at  Cape  Palmas,  and  one  Negro  Bishop  in  the  West  Indies, 
but  the  approved  plan  is,  when  a  See  falls  vacant,  to  hunt  up 
and  down  for  an  English  Curate,  ready  to  risk  his  life,  leave  his 
wife  at  home,  and  go  out  :  those,  who  leave  their  wives,  are 
constantly  coming  home  to  visit  them,  under  the  specious 
pretence  of  consulting  the  Committee.  I  have  seen  Bishop 
after  Bishop  go  out,  and  die :  I  have  written  so  fully  on  this 
subject  in  a  separate  Essay,  that  I  will  say  no  more  here.  The 
Churches  in  Asia  and  Africa  have  survived  to  our  time,  simply 
because  they  had  a  native  Organization :  My  remarks  apply 
chiefly  to  Bishops  of  organized  Churches,  such  as  West  Africa, 
and  South  India :  Suitable  men  are  available,  and  two  assistant 
Bishops  have  lately  been  appointed,  but  why  could  they  not  be 
trusted  as  independent  Bishops  ?  We  do  not  hear  of  white 
men  going  out  as  assistant  Bishops :  the  difference  of  treatment 
is  only  skin-deep,  and  the  reason  only  extends  to  the  skin. 

As  regards  Africa  we  have  had  a  Negro-Bishop  for  a  genera- 
tion, a  good  man,  and  he  died  beloved :  there  were  competent 
men  to  succeed  him  :  one  a  member  of  the  Council  of  the 
Governor  at  Lagos,  two  Archdeacons  on  the  Niger  :  why 
were  they  passed  over,  except  from  feelings  of  un-Christian 
contempt  of  so-called  inferior  races,  just  as  a  Pagan  Roman  of 
the  time  of  Trajan  would  have  passed  over  a  Gaul,  or  a  Briton, 
as  something  below  contempt,  as  indeed  in  scale  of  education 
they  then  were :  but  these  Negroes  are  highly  educated  and 
accomplished  men,  whose  conversation  in  the  dark  might 
have  been  mistaken  for  that  of  an  Englishman.  Still  more 
glaring  is  the  presumptuous  contempt  of  Englishmen  of  the 
middle  classes  for  the  ancient  races  in  India,  who  were 
educated  at  a  time,  when  Britons  and  Anglo-Saxons  wore 
skins,  and  were  savages.  The  only  idea  of  a  Bishop  for 
the  Pastorates  in  S.  India  is  a  white  man,  a  Curate  picked  up  in 
England,  or  a  Missionary  :  at  any  rate  the  latter  will  know  the 
language  and  the  people.  The  people  of  India  are  not  bar- 
barians :  in  the  contests  for  the  Civil-Service  they  are  known  to 
outstrip  the  very  flower  of  English  candidates  :  they  hold  the 
highest  Offices  under  the  State :  in  one  instance  a  Native 
commands  a  Regiment:  yet  no  one  in  the  eyes  of  the  white 
Ecclesiastic,  or  the  lay  Committee  of  a  Missionary-Society,  is  fit 
to  be  a  Bishop,  and  yet  in  the  eyes  of  the  laity,  with  rare 
exceptions,  the  Bishops  at  Home,  or  the  Colonies,  are  not  men 
of  high  calibre,  or  Scholars,  or  men  of  Science,  or  Adminis- 


(     190     ) 

trators,  or  Authors  :  on  the  contrary,  any  younger  son  of  a  Peer, 
or  Head-Master  of  a  Public  School,  is  supposed  to  make  a  good 
Bishop  :  at  any  rate  they  know  the  language  of  the  English 
people,  and  can  speak  to  their  flock  without  an  interpreter,  and 
this  is  just  what  they  do  not  know  in  Asia,  Africa,  Oceania, 
and  America. 

Hear  what  Sir  William  Hunter  writes  in  the  Times,  April  1894: 
"  In  every  department  of  the  Government  there  is  a  tendency  to 
"  incorporate  the  native  element  more  largely,  and  upon  more 
*'  liberal  terms.  Thus  the  Covenanted-Civil-Service,  which 
**  forms  the  controlling  body  in  India,  has  been  reduced  by 
"  22  per  cent,  since  1874,  with  the  prospect  of  a  further 
"  reduction  of  12  per  cent.  In  January,  1892,  it  contained, 
**  including  the  statutory  appointments,  941  members,  of  whom 
**  73  were  natives  of  India.  Of  these  Indian  gentlemen  15  were 
**  admitted  by  open  competition  in  England,  and  58  were 
"  appointed  in  India  under  the  Act  of  1870.  Without  entering 
**  into  contentious  matter,  we  may  remark,  that  they  show  what 
**  steps  have  been  taken  to  give  effect  to  the  Queen's  Procla- 
**  mation  of  1858,  which  opened  official  employment  in  India  to 
"  all  races  of  Her  Majesty's  service  competent  for  the  work. 
**  They  also  suggest  reflections  as  to  the  danger  of  further 
"  reducing  the  small  British  nucleus  of  control.  In  regard  to 
**  emoluments,  it  is  stated  'that  out  oi  114,150  appointments  in 
**  the  Civil  departments,  carrying  an  annual  salary  of  Rs.  1,000 
"  and  over,  97  per  cent,  are  now  held  by  natives  of  India,  and 
**  the  remaining  3  per  cent,  by  others.'  It  should  be  borne  in 
**  mind,  that  a  salary  of  Rs.  1,000  means  a  much  better  income 
**  to  a  native  of  India  than  /^loo  a  year  to  an  official  in  this 
**  country." 

If  the  arm  of  Great  Britain  were  shortened,  all  our  Missions 
would  be  driven  out  of  India,  China  and  West  Africa,  and  the 
Christian  Churches  having  no  backbone  of  Organization,  with 
power  to  renew  itself  from  generation  to  generation,  would 
disappear  as  the  Jesuit  Missions  disappeared  in  South  America 
and  West  Africa. 

In  non-Episcopal  Churches  the  same  remarks  would  apply  to 
the  necessity  of  organizing  a  system  of  Church-Government, 
and  Native  office-holders,  according  to  their  particular  consti- 
tution :  with  this  precaution,  when  the  time  comes,  and  the 
English  take  to  their  ships,  or  are  cut  down  by  an  invading 
force,  like  the  poor  Ma-Tab^le  in  South  Africa,  the  Kingdom  of 
Christ  will  not  be  uprooted,  and  perish  with  the  alien  Bishop 
and  white  clergy. 


(     191      ) 

5-  The  Unpaid  Agent. 

I  confess  that  I  feel  objections  to  unpaid  Agents,  those  free- 
lances, who  do  just  what  they  like,  go  where  they  like,  and  make 
the  fact  of  their  warring  at  their  own  charges  an  excuse  for  con- 
ducting the  war  on  their  own  Method,  and  flinging  it  up  at  their 
own  fancy.  I  would  insist  on  all  Agents  being  on  the  same 
footing  as  rega^rds  discipline  :  if  anyone  has  abundance,  he  can 
find  plenty  of  opportunity  of  advancing  the  Mission-work  by  his 
bounty,  but  he  must  not  arrogate  to  himself  a  status  differing 
from  that  of  his  fellows,  because  he  has  a  few  hundreds  of 
Pounds  per  annum  at  his  disposal.  In  some  Missionary-Societies 
we  hear  of  the  boast,  that  their  Agents  receive  no  sort  of  re- 
muneration :  if  this  implies,  that  they  war  at  their  own  charges, 
the  objections  stated  above  apply  to  the  system ;  but  generally 
the  point  is  different.  In  some  Missions  all  the  Missionaries  in 
each  Station  dwell  together,  as  in  a  College,  and  the  necessity 
of  a  separate  establishment  for  each  does  not  arise :  allowances 
are  made  for  their  clothes,  if  wanted.  Now,  where  su,bsistence 
money  is  provided,  the  amount  is  calculated  on  the  necessity  of 
a  bare  subsistence  only,  and  such  decent  comforts,  as  will  pre- 
serve the  Missionary's  health,  and  calm  of  mind.  It  is  difficult 
to  see  the  difference.  Besides,  the  real  question  is,  Has  the 
man  the  Missionary-Spirit  ?  If  he  has,  it  matters  not  how  he  is 
maintained,  whether  by  a  common  or  a  separate  fund.  If  he 
has  no  private  resources,  he  must  be  supported  in  some  way  or 
other.  It  is  impossible  at  this  period,  that  he  should  maintain 
his  life  by  a  trade,  as  Paul  did,  though  he  did  not  enforce  this 
practice  on  others.  And  in  Mission-life  there  must  be  a  great 
scattering  of  the  Agents  :  perhaps  two  or  three  will  be  grouped 
together,  and  they  must  be  sustained,  and  it  seems  far  better, 
that  they  should  have  fixed  subsistence  allowances  paid  from 
the  Common  Fund  :  if  they  are  wealthy,  they  can  throw  their 
gifts  into  that  fund.  They  should  abstain  from  mixing  up  their 
personal  expenditure  with  the  accounts  of  the  Society,  and 
should  make  no  promiscuous  drawings  on  the  General  Fund. 

Then  again  it  may  be  an  unpleasant  truth,  but  the  conviction 
forces  itself  upon  me,  that  the  life  of  the  modern  Missionary  is 
very  easy-going  compared  with  what  it  was  fifty  years  ago. 
Take  the  life  of  Bishop  Gobat,  and  see  what  he  suffered  in 
Abyssinia :  privation,  want,  long  delays  in  unhealthy  places, 
tedious  voyages,  hope  deferred,  absence  of  success.  What  were 
the  perils,  and  sufferings,  of  Selwyn,  Patteson,  Williams,  Allen 
Gardiner  ?  They  had  Faith,  and  Love,  and  Patience,  and  were 
real  Apostles.  One  Missionary  of  that  period  mentions,  that 
his  boxes  arrived  after  having  been  despatched  more  than  two 
years.     On  being  opened  everything  was  as  rotten  as  tinder. 


(     19^     ) 

Two  or  three  packets  of  letters  were  in  the  middle  of  one  box, 
but,  when  touched,  they  crumbled  to  dust.  It  was  most  trying, 
said  the  Missionary.  It  was  the  only  time,  that  he  saw  his  wife 
give  way  to  sorrow  and  tears.  In  this  luxurious  age  we  find 
some  Missionaries  quite  out  of  thoughts,  if  they  do  not  get  their 
post  regularly,  complaining  bitterly  if  their  things  are  not  sent 
out  to  them  as  they  like,  and  neither  enduring  hardships  like 
good  soldiers,  nor  exhibiting  the  external  attributes  of  Servants 
of  the  Cross.  I  remember  one  unpaid  Missionary  persuading 
the  Committee  to  cut  him  out  a  little  Province  of  his  own,  like 
a  German  Duchy  in  the  middle  of  the  German  Empire,  where 
he  could  have  his  own  sweet  way :  he  soon  threw  it  up,  and 
came  home.  The  only  sound  rule  is  not  to  have  two  orders 
of  Missionaries,  but  both  on  the  same  footing :  if  anyone  has 
wealth  let  him  contribute  to  the  Society's  funds ;  that  is  the  rule 
of  the  Romish  Church,  that  is  the  rule  of  the  Cowley  Fathers  : 
there  is  no  independent  property  of  individuals. 

I  once  urged  in  Committee,  but  as  usual  urged  in  vain,  that 
something  should  be  done  for  the  Native  Indian  and  Chinese, 
who  flock  to  England,  and  sojourn  a  few  years,  and  then  return 
to  their  home.  We  send  Missions  to  the  Jew,  and  the  Maho- 
metan ;  whynotalsoto  the  enfranchised  and  enlightened  Indian, 
who  has  learnt  to  despise  the  Religion  of  his  forefathers,  and 
has  to  be  taught  the  better  way  ^  Let  a  beginning  be  made 
with  the  small,  yet  intelligent,  company  of  Indian  law-students 
in  this  city.  Amiable,  gentle,  and  social,  they  might  be  im- 
pressed with  the  friendliness  of  Christian  people  during  their 
temporary  exile  from  their  country,  instead  of  being  left  quite 
to  themselves.  They  frequent  the  meetings  of  learned  Societies, 
and  are  able  to  address  audiences  in  the  English  language  ;  and 
I  have  heard  a  Mahometan  of  Bangdl  with  singular  simplicity 
speak  up  for  the  purity  of  his  Religion,  and,  with  startling 
paradox,  for  the  happiness  of  Mahometan  women.  A  society 
called  the  London  Mahometan  Mission  has  been  formed  to 
look  after  the  Arab  and  Turkish  visitors  to  this  city,  but  the 
natives  of  India  are  unnoticed,  and  yet  some  of  them  might,  if 
brought  under  proper  Christian  influence,  be  powerful  auxiliaries 
to  the  cause  of  Christian  Missions  on  their  return  to  India. 


(     193     ) 


VI.    THE    MISSIONARY-AGENT. 


CAP. 

VI. 


The  Missionary-Agent. 


1  The  Untrained  Agent. 

2  Not  Gifted  with  the  Grace  of  Winning  Souls. 

3  Failing  to  Master  the  Vernacular  Language. 

4  Losing  Heart  and  Desponding. 

5  Quarrelsome. 

6  PufFed-up  by  Undue  Praise :  Declamation. 

7  Meddlers  and  Busybodies,  "  Allotrio-Episcopos." 

8  Marrying  early. 

9  Arrogant  to  the  Natives. 

10  Deficient  in  Sympathy  and  Love,  and  Justice,  to  the 

Natives. 

1 1  Disloyal  to  Employer. 

12  Defying  Laws  and  Customs  of  the  Country. 

13  Tilting  against  Legal  Native  Customs. 

14  Throwing  up  the  Vocation  for  Private  Convenience. 

15  Holding  Secular  Offices,  or  Honours. 

16  Living  in  Society  of  Secular  white  men,  and  keeping 

away  from  touch  of  the  people. 

17  Offending    against    Mission-Comity, 

Romish. 

18  Ridiculing,    and    speaking     ill,     of    non-Christian 

Religions. 

19  Immoral. 

20  Importing  Western  Ideas. 

21  Undertaking  Work  not  belonging  to  his  Duty. 

22  Intruding  new  Fads,  such  as  Total  Abstinence,  etc. 

23  Insulting,  or  making  use  of,  non-Christian  Places  of 

Worship. 

24  Preaching  to  Prisoners  in  Public  Gaols. 

25  Taking  up  New  Work  to  the  neglect  of  old. 


Protestant    or 


13 


(     194     ) 

I  make  some  general  remarks  :  here  are  the  attributes  of  the 
Missionary : 

1.  He  must  count  the  cost,  before  he  begins  to  build. 

2.  He  must  be  a  man  of  sanctified  common-sense. 

3.  An  unworldly  spirit,  and  unselfish  aim. 

4.  Thoroughly  intent  on  his  work. 

5.  A  man  of  Peace,  with  the  Spirit  of  Peace  in  his  house, 

heart,  speech,  and  environment. 

6.  Simple  habits  and  contented  spirit. 

7.  Personal  holiness. 

8.  Inexhaustible  patience. 

9.  Unshakeable  faith. 

10.  Full  of  prayer,  and  a  reader  of  the  Bible. 

11.  Dauntless,  but  quiet;    courage  of  deeds,  rather  than  of 

words. 

12.  A  sound  judgment,  a   chastened   spirit,  a   man  of  soft 

answer. 

13.  Loyal  to  his  Church,  his  Society,  and  his  God. 

Missionaries  should  ask  themselves,  why  Missionaries,  and 
Missions,  are  so  exceedingly  unpopular  among  their  own 
countrymen,  both  sojourners  in  different  parts  of  the  World,  and 
in  their  own  Native  land.  Yet  it  is  so  undoubtedly.  And 
it  is  not  the  irreligious  and  unbelievers,  that  speak  ill  of  them, 
but  persons,  who  are  given  to  benevolence,  but  have  a  deep- 
rooted  aversion  to  Religious  Missions.  There  are  certain 
individuals,  families,  and  classes,  who  enthusiastically  support 
Missions,  but  the  great  majority  ignore  the  work,  the  men,  and 
their  Publications.  I  remark  this  Phenomenon  with  regret,  but 
I  do  remark  it,  and  see  clearly  the  cause.  Missionaries  are 
narrow  in  vision.  Cannot  they  correct  this  by  reading  system- 
atically the  Periodicals,  and  Reports,  of  other  Societies,  of  other 
Denominations,  and  the  Home-Committee  should  supply  them. 
Each  Society  should  publish  Biographical  notices  of  esteemed 
deceased  Missionaries,  and  collective  narratives  of  each  Mission, 
so  that  the  traditions  of  the  past  may  be  maintained.  The 
Missionary  will  then  find  that  the  difficulties,  which  press  on 
him  in  some  remote  corner  of  the  world,  have  been  disposed 
of  elsewhere :  he  will  find  Methods,  and  machinery,  at  work, 
which  will  admirably  meet  his  wants,  but  of  which  he  had  never 
heard :  he  will  gather  wisdom  from  the  failures  of  others,  as 
well  as  his  own.  The  Lawyer,  the  Statesman,  the  Merchant,  in 
their  secular  avocations,  do  this  with  advantage.  The  human 
side  of  Mission -work  is  an  Art,  and  a  Science,  and  is  progressive 
from  age  to  age.  The  Grace  of  God  upon  the  imperfect  labours 
of  his  Servants  is  unchanged. 


(     195     ) 

Two  errors  in  the  selection  of  men  should  be  avoided :  if  the 
standard  be  lowered  and  less  well-educated  men  are  admitted, 
there  is  danger  ahead :  the  history  of  the  Mission  in  Eastern 
Equatorial  Africa  during  the  last  twenty  years  will  prove  this  : 
on  the  other  hand  the  Missionary  must  not  be  an  enthusiast, 
feeding  as  it  were  on  the  "  Pilgrim's  Progress,"  and  the  **  Holy 
War  "  of  Bunyan :  he  must  not  picture  himself  as  addressing  an 
assembly  of  holy  picturesque  Brahmans  under  a  wide-spreading 
pipal  tree,  and  fancying,  that  his  feeble  words  would  destroy 
the  prejudices,  the  legends,  the  practices,  the  hopes,  the  fears, 
of  an  ancient  race  :  he  may  reflect,  that  if  he  were  able  to  make 
in  a  short  time  such  a  change,  as  with  the  stroke  of  a  wand,  the 
Mormonite,  or  Theosophist,  or  the  neo-Mahometan  of  Sayad 
Ahmed  All's  school,  might  come  in  a  few  months,  and  carry  off 
his  converts  to  their  views.  The  duty  of  the  Missionary  is 
long,  tedious,  and  prosaic,  and  the  more,  that  Education  and 
Civilization  spread,  the  more  difficult  it  will  become. 

I.  Untrained  Agents. 

It  does  not  answer  to  send  out  an  untrained  Army  to  the 
Field,  composed  of  inferior,  incompact,  and  ill-supplied,  troops. 
A  Mission  should  be  composed  of  the  best  material,  and  care 
taken  to  adapt  that  material.  It  is  not  enough  for  a  young  man, 
or  woman,  to  think,  that  they  are  called  by  the  Spirit :  their 
capacity  from  a  human  point  of  view  must  be  tested,  and  the 
amount  of  self-sacrifice,  v/hich  they  are  prepared  to  make,  must 
be  found  out.  Undeveloped  powers  must  by  teaching  be 
developed.  The  very  best  materials,  the  choicest  trees  of 
Lebanon,  were  requisitioned  for  the  Lord's  Temple  at  Jerusalem, 
and  then  fashioned  without  any  noise  or  excitement  by  the  most 
skilled  artificers.  To  send  out  foolish  boys  and  girls,  engaged 
perhaps  to  marry,  who  wish  to  do  something,  somewhere,  some- 
how, without  the  manifestation  of  any  gift,  even  of  humility,  or 
spiritual  call,  is  sheer  folly,  and  unworthy  of  a  Society :  yet  we 
hear  the  voice  of  a  Secretary  shouting  out  at  public  meetings 
**  More  Men  !  "  when  there  is  not  enough  money  to  pay  the 
workmen  already  in  the  vineyard.  We  have  to  guard  in  certain 
quarters  against  gush,  romance,  platform-demonstrations,  mock 
heroics.  We  have  to  seek  for  a  mind  after  long  reflection  made 
up,  a  quiet  determination,  an  unostentatious  laying  oneself  on 
the  Altar,  a  placing  aside  absolutely  for  a  certain  term  of  years 
all  human  afl'ections ;  we  seek  also  an  absence  of  a  vaunting 
spirit,  of  a  presumptuous,  sanctimonious,  Pharisaical,  demeanour. 
*'  I  have  counted  the  cost,"  wrote  Paul  for  himself  and  for  all 
ages.  Paul  supplies  us  with  an  excellent  word,  eOeXoOpijaKeia, 
**  will-worship,"  Colossians,  ii,  23.  The  goodness  of  some  is  like 
a  morning  cloud  :  the  wife  falls  ill,  and  home  they  come. 


(     196     ) 

Hear  what  Livingf^tone  said :  we  all  know  what  he  did. 
"  I'he  sort  of  men,  who  are  wanted  for  Missionaries,  are  men  of 
"  education,  standing,  enterprise,  zeal,  and  piety.  It  is  a 
"  mistake  to  suppose,  that  anyone,  so  long  as  he  is  pious,  will  do 
**  for  this  office.  Pioneers  in  everything  should  be  the  ablest 
**  qualified  men,  not  those  of  small  ability  and  education.  This 
*'  remark  especially  applies  to  the  first  teachers  of  Christian 
'*  Truth  in  regions,  which  may  never  have  before  been  blessed 
**  with  the  name  and  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  In  the  early  ages 
*'  the  Monasteries  were  the  schools  of  Europe,  and  the  monks 
**  were  not  ashamed  to  hold  the  plough.  The  Missionaries  now 
**  take  the  place  of  those  able  men,  and  we  should  not  hesitate 
*'  to  give  up  the  small  luxuries  of  life,  in  order  to  carry  knowledge 
**  and  truth  to  them,  that  are  in  darkness." 

Hear  what  Lord  Northbrook,  the  Viceroy,  said :  **  I  believe, 
**  that  this  Society  has  been  wise  and  right  in  encouraging  the 
**  sending  of  learned  Missionaries  to  India.  In  India  the 
'*  Missionary  has  to  deal  with  old  Religions ;  he  has  to  deal  with 
**  educated  men,  men  of  a  very  high  order  of  intellect,  and  subtle 
**  in  reasoning.  The  Hindu  is  accustomed  to  a  Philosophy 
•*  more  accurate,  I  believe,  than  the  Greek  Philosophy  ;  and  in 
**  dealing  with  Mahometans  the  Missionary  has  to  deal  with 
**  men,  who  have  strong  faith  in  their  Religion,  and  possess 
**  a  considerable  extent  of  Arabic  learning.  Therefore  1  think, 
'*  if  I  may  venture  to  say  so,  that  you  cannot  send  too  good  men 
"  to  India  ;  and  that  by  sending  the  best  men  you  have — I  know 
"  that  this  Society  has  taken  great  pains  in  the  education  of  its 
*'  Missionaries — by  sending  the  best  men  you  have  you  will 
**  command  respect,  and  you  will  probably  be  able  to  educate 
**  and  train,  what  it  is  your  anxious  desire  to  secure,  an  able  and 
**  powerful  class  of  native  ministers  of  the  Gospel." 

Hear  what  Sir  J.  Kennaway,  President  of  the  Church- 
Missionary-Society,  said :  "  It  is  all-important,  that  the  right 
*'  men  should  be  selected,  and  trained,  for  the  responsible 
*'  work  they  have  to  carry  on.  There  is  work  for  all,  who  are 
**  animated  with  the  Christ-like  Love,  and  burning  desire  to 
**  save  souls.  The  training  must  vary  with  the  class  of  men, 
**  and  the  work  which  they  are  called  upon  to  do.  There 
**  must  be  leaders  to  direct  and  govern,  scholars  for  linguistic 
**  and  translation-work,  schoolmasters,  mechanics ;  indeed, 
"  every  Missionary  must  be  ready  with  his  hand,  as  well  as  his 
"  head.  He  must  have  fertility  of  resources  and  self-reliance, 
**  the  better  to  grapple  with  difficulties.  He  may  have  to  build 
"  his  house,  make  his  furniture,  work  a  printing-press,  till  his 
**  garden,  cook  his  food,  and  some  training  should  be  given 
*'  him,  with  some  special  medical  instruction  of  an  elementary 
"  and  practical  character,  such  as  is  required  for  a  voluntary 


(     197     ) 

"  ambulance-corps.  It  is  not  possible  to  generalize  ;  particulars 
"  must  be  worked  out  by  those  conducting  the  Training-Insti- 
"  tutions." 

Of  what  use  is  a  party  of  untrained,  and  partially  educated, 
enthusiasts,  full  of  wild  schemes,  adopting  the  Native  dress, 
upsetting  all  existing  practices,  dismissing  all  Native  Agents, 
making  a  solitude  of  a  great  Mission,  as  has  lately  happened  on 
the  Upper  Niger.  I  could  specify  name  and  place,  but  for  the 
sake  of  the  dead  I  forbear.  We  have  had  instances  of  hare- 
brained excited  young  men  and  women,  full  of  so-called  zeal, 
empty  of  all  experience,  ready  to  adopt  the  last  new  hallucination, 
such  as  Faith-healing,  Pentecostal  gift  of  vernacular  languages, 
claiming  a  sick  person  of  God,  and  talking  of  their  work  being 
owned  by  God. 

The  contest  is  between  Christianity,  other  Religious  Concep- 
tions, and  of  actual  Unbelief:  of  Sceptics  the  name  is  legion,  and 
Missionaries  should  be  men  of  culture  and  sweet  reasonableness, 
something  of  the  type  of  Paul,  capable  of  arguing  with  such 
men,  not  in  an  arrogant,  dogmatic,  and  angry  manner,  but  with 
all  the  stately  sobriety  of  Socrates.  Some  such  men  have  gone 
out  in  times  past  and  times  present,  and  in  order  to  secure  a 
succession  courses  of  lectures  should  begin  to  Missionaries  under 
training,  instead  of  leaving  each  man  to  try  and  discover  for 
himself  the  best  methods  of  arguing,  and  of  general  adminis- 
tration. 

Stress  must  not  be  laid  on  numbers,  but  on  qualifications : 
any  youth  or  young  girl  will  not  do :  Missionaries  must  be 
weighed,  not  counted.  The  following  statement  of  qualification 
has  been  laid  down :  "  Spiritual  men  for  spiritual  work.  No 
"  candidate  is  accepted,  who  does  not  give  clear  evidence  of 
"  having  yielded  his  heart  to  God,  and  of  his  personal  realization 
*'  of  the  work  of  Christ  for  him,  and  of  the  work  of  the  Holy 
'*  Spirit  in  him.  With  this  there  must  be  soundness  in  the 
**  Faith,  an  intelligent  and  unfeigned  acceptance  of  the  Creeds 
"  of  the  Reformed  Churches. 

'''Intellectual.  There  is  room  in  the  Mission-Field  for  various 
**  degrees  of  mental  capacity  and  attainment;  but  those,  who 
**  are  to  teach  others,  should  be  well-taught  themselves,  and  at 
"  least  there  must  be  good  reason  to  expect,  that  the  candidate 
**  will  succeed  in  mastering  a  foreign  language. 

**  Physical.  A  sound  constitution  and  good  bodily  health  are 
"  essential  for  work  in  a  foreign  climate. 

'*  Practical.  Practical  qualifications  are  of  three  kinds  :  First, 
*'  the  candidate  should  be  of  a  cheerful,  unselfish,  amiable, 
"  character  ;  diligent  and  self-denying ;  ready  to  obey,  and  able 
"  if  necessary  to  command  ;  without  *  fads.'  Secondly,  he 
"  should  have  had  experience  in  actual  Christian  work,  especially 


(      198     ) 

*'  such  as  has  given  opportunity  for  faithful  and  fearless  wit- 
'*  nessing  for  Christ,  and  practice  in  teaching  the  ignorant  and 
"  seeking  the  lost.  Thirdly,  he  should  be  a  handy  man,  able 
**  to  put  up  with  the  inconveniences,  and  sometimes  privations, 
*'  of  life  and  travel  in  uncivilized  or  partially-civilized  countries, 
**  ready  of  resource,  able  (if  need  be)  to  mend  his  own  clothes, 
"  to  put  up  his  own  tent  or  hut,  to  sail  his  own  boat,  to  tend  his 
**  sick  or  wounded  comrade." 

Let  me  here  lay  before  my  readers  the  account  of  a  totally 
untrained  party  arriving  at  Shanghai,  Feb.  i8qi  :  "  *Why,  there 
**  they  are !  the  American  party  must  have  arrived.' 

"  We  turned  to  see,  and,  sure  enough,  there  were  two  Scandi- 
*'  navian  strangers,  unmistakable  somehow  in  their  pleasant, 
**  simple  appearance  and  manner,  standing  at  the  door,  and 
"  waiting  a  welcome.  We  hastened  to  greet  them,  glad  that 
**  they  could  speak  some  English  at  any  rate,  and  proceeded  to 
**  enquire  as  to  the  number  of  the  party  they  represented. 

"  To  this  very  leading  question,  Mr.  Pilquist  promptly  and 
**  cheerfully  replied,  *  We  are  thirty-five,  seventeen  men,  and 
"  eighteen  sisters,  and  there  are  ten  more  on  the  way,  who  will 
"  be  here  next  week  perhaps  ! '  We  could  hardly  believe  it. 
**  But  the  faces  of  the  dear  brethren  were  so  happy  about  it,  and 
'*  they  seemed  so  glad  to  be  here,  and  so  anxious  to  start  off 
"  immediately  to  bring  all  the  others  up  to  share  their  own 
"  warm  welcome,  that  there  was  no  possibility  of  doubt,  and  the 
"  only  thing  to  do  was  to  make  preparation  for  them  all  as 
**  quickly  as  possible. 

**  Away  they  went  to  fetch  their  friends,  leaving  us  to  realize 
"  the  blessed  fact,  that  the  largest  Missionary-party,  that  has  ever 
"  been  known  to  arrive  in  China,  was  given  to  us  that  day,  and 
**  that  without  our  having  done  anything  in  the  matter,  either 
*'■  written  a  word,  or  spent  a  penny,  or  made  one  single  effort  to 
**  bring  them,  just  given  of  God  in  answer  to  prayer,  part  of  the 
"  coming  thousand ! 

"  Before  very  long  the  two  brethren  reappeared  with  such  a 
**  company  of  pleasant-looking  strangers  ;  all  able  to  speak 
"  English,  and  evidently  happy  in  the  welcome  they  received. 
*'  A  musical  party  too,  evidently,  for  amongst  the  things  they 
'*  carried  were  several  guitars,  and  kindred  instruments,  in 
"  interesting-looking  cases.  By  degrees,  after  the  first  greetings 
"  were  over,  and  we  had  found  out  all  their  names,  and  that 
"  amongst  them  were  five  from  Norway,  the  remaining  thirty 
"  being  all  from  Sweden,  we  began  to  learn  a  little  of  their 
**  history  as  a  Missionary-band,  and  most  interesting  it  proved 
"  to  be.'' 

It  is  indeed  overpowering  to  think  of  such  a  party  arriving, 
including  a  man  with  the  banjo,  not  a  trained  man  or  woman 


(     199     ) 

among  them.  I  remember  the  five  Moravian  wives  arriving  at 
Calcutta,  each  with  a  ticket  allotting  them  to  an  unknown 
Moravian  brother  in  Tibet ;  but  that  incident  of  forty  years 
ago  is  as  nothing  compared  to  this :  they  were  trained  Mis- 
sionaries. 

How  were  they  got  together :  "  Mr.  Franson  began  in 
**  Brooklyn,  by  inviting,  through  the  Swedish  religious  papers, 
**  any  young  persons  desirous  of  giving  their  lives  to  foreign 
"  Missionary-work  to  meet  him  in  that  city  for  a  fortnight's 
•*  Bible-study.  Hospitality  was  offered  to  all,  who  came  in 
**  Christian  homes. 

**  At  the  end  of  the  fortnight,  sixteen  out  of  the  fifty  were 
**  accepted  for  China,  their  support  being  guaranteed  by  the 
'*  Churches  which  had  recommended  them,  and  sent  them  up 
**  followed  by  their  earnest  prayers. 

**  The  accepted  candidates  were  then  sent  away  to  spend  the 
**  remaining  weeks  before  they  could  sail  for  China  in  making  a 
*•  tour  of  the  Churches,  going  in  little  companies,  some  who 
**  could  sing,  and  some  who  could  talk,  to  deepen  interest  for 
**  China  in  a  wide  circle,  and  to  quicken  the  spiritual  life  of  the 
"  various  gatherings  that  received  them. 

"  From  Brooklyn  Mr.  Franson  went  on  to  Chicago,  and  in 
*'  November  opened  another  Bible-School  with  seventy  members. 
"  Of  these  also,  sixteen  were  chosen  for  China,  and  sent  out  in 
"  like  manner  to  stir  up  interest,  and  to  be  a  blessing  in  the 
"  Churches,  while  he  went  on  himself  to  open  a  third  Bible- 
"  School  in  Minneapolis.  Of  this  latter  effort  we  have  not  yet 
"  heard  so  much,  for  the  Minneapolis  party  are  only  on  their 
**  way,  having  sailed  twelve  days  after  the  first  band,  the 
"  support  of  each  one  lovingly  guaranteed  by  those,  who  sent 
"  them  forth  ;  and  more  than  this,  he  had  5,000  dollars  in  hand 
"  towards  the  general  expenses  of  the  work." 

Now,  if  this  kind  of  thing  answers  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
verting China,  a  great  change  will  come  over  the  Missionary- 
system  :  untrained  young  men  and  women  caught  up  at  random, 
Scandinavian  settlers  in  the  United  States  started  off  in  a  few 
weeks  after  they  had  answered  the  Newspaper-advertisement. 
One  thing  only  is  certain,  that  there  will  be  a  large  number  of 
marriages,  and  a  great  deal  of  distress  some  years  hence  to 
maintain  them,  and  their  prolific  families,  in  China. 

The  late  Reverend  George  Percy  Badger  many  years  ago 
wrote  to  me  as  follows :  "  There  is  one  point,  which  ought  to 
"  engage  the  serious  attention  of  Committees,  and  that  is  the 
*'  importance  of  sending  out  learned  men.  I  mean  learned  in 
*'  the  books  and  tenets  of  the  people,  to  whom  they  are  sent :  such 
'*  men  would  secure  respect.  An  ignorant  Missionary  has  no 
*'  chance  with  the  Mahometans  :  he  will  do  no  good,  and  may 


(     200     ) 

**  do  much  harm.     Possessed  of  knowledge  he  may  be  instru- 
'*  mental  in  creating  inquiry,  which  may  lead  to  Conversion." 

Another  writer  thus  expresses  himself:  "  Quite  as  important 
**  is  it,  that  the  Missionary  should  enter  on  his  great  Crusade 
**  with  some  definite  conception  of  the  Superstition,  which  he 
•'  wishes  to  overthrow.  That  it  is  heathenish,  erroneous,  and 
"  immoral,  is  usually  all  he  does  know ;  but  he  is  hardly  likely 
**  to  become  an  able  Missionary,  or  a  successful  one,  unless  he 
**  knows  a  great  deal  more. 

"  Even  African  and  Polynesian  Superstitions  need  to  be 
"  understood ;  and  each  of  the  stupendous  systems  of  the  East 
**  require  the  closest  study.  It  is  in  the  East,  and  during  the 
"  years  of  active  toil,  that  this  may  best  be  accomplished  ;  and 
"  so  much  is  there  to  be  learned,  and  so  interesting  is  the  study, 
"  that  the  ablest  and  oldest  Missionaries  pursue  it  the  most 
**  ardently ;  but  a  beginning  should  be  made  at  home,  and  some 
**  book  or  books  on  the  subject  be  carefully  mastered. 

"  Since  much  is  now  written  and  spoken  in  commendation  of 
"  Comparative  Religion,  it  is  necessary  to  point  out  that,  im- 
"  portant  and  interesting  as  it  is,  that,  which  the  prospective 
"  Missionary  should  aim  at,  is  a  study  for  practical  purposes  of 
"  the  particular  Religion  he  is  about  to  assail.  May  I  also  be 
"  allowed  to  point  out,  that  Comparative  Religion,  as  usually 
"  taught,  fails  to  deal  adequately  with  the  social  and  moral 
"  tendencies  of  various  Religions.  It  seeks  mainly  to  show  their 
"  common  origin  ;  how  far  they  agree,  and  in  what  they  re- 
"  semble  each  other ;  it  emphasizes  their  philosophical  aspects, 
•'  but  fails  to  take  adequate  account  of  their  practical  defective- 
"  ness  in  the  moral,  and  social,  life.  It  is  this,  which  more 
"  than  justifies  the  Christian  war  waged  against  all  forms  of 
**  heathenism,  and  its  study  is  worthy  of  far  more  attention  than 
"  it  generally  receives." 

Ignorance  by  itself  is  bad,  but  in  the  young  men,  who  go  out 
as  Missionaries,  and  whose  education  is  limited,  it  is  accom- 
panied by  a  contemptuous  overlooking  of  the  motive,  which 
underlies  all  Religions  however  erroneous.  Take  your  Atheist 
of  modern  times,  and  he  will  smile  at  the  idea  of  God  :  the 
ancient  races  have  never  failed  to  affirm,  that  there  is  a  Divine 
Power,  which  controls  man  :  the  Missionary's  duty  is  to  explain 
to  them  the  nature  of  that  Power. 

To  my  amazement  I  read  from  a  cutting  from  a  religious 
journal,  which  lies  on  my  table,  that  the  person  selected  to  be 
a  Missionary  **  must  be  a  gentleman,"  and  of  course  this  applies 
to  the  other  sex,  that  she  should  be  **  a  lady."  In  one  Society 
I  heard  a  discussion  as  to  the  line  to  be  drawn  betwixt  the 
"women"  and  the  "ladies."  Merciful  Heavens!  and  the 
Secretary  found  a  dividing-line  betwixt  women  and  ladies  by  the 


(     201     ) 

latter  having  nicknacks  on  their  tables  in  the  Training-College. 
Will  there  be  a  place  set  apart  in  the  next  world  for  gentlemen 
and  ladies  ?  Were  the  son  of  the  Carpenter,  or  the  Fishermen  on 
the  Sea  of  Galilee,  "gentlemen?"  Were  the  sweet  women,  who 
attended  on  our  Lord,  and  those  others  immortalized  by  Paul 
in  the  last  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  '*  ladies  "  ? 
they  were  something  infinitely  better.  The  practice  of  the 
Churches  of  Christ,  both  Protestant  and  Romish,  has  been 
against  this  harsh  and  ridiculous  suggestion.  We  have  had 
Missionary  Bishops  sons  of  tradesmen,  sons  of  menial  servants, 
and  a  whole  army  of  Missionaries,  who  do  not  lay  claim  to  such 
a  title. 

Mark  the  care  taken  in  the  Romish  Church  to  secure  a  proper 
training  for  their  Missionaries  :  they  go  out  for  life  ;  they  have 
unconditionally  given  up  everything  :  father,  mother,  wife, 
country,  for  Christ's  sake,  and  are  worthy  of  Him.  I  cannot 
approve  of  their  Methods,  or  their  Dogmas,  or  their  Practices, 
but  I  love  them  for  their  devotion  :  they  evince  the  great  and 
inestimable  gift  of  self-sacrifice,  which  is  so  often  found  wanting 
in  Protestant  circles. 

2.   Not  Gifted  with  the  Grace  of  Winning  Souls. 

Every  good  gift,  every  perfect  gift,  is  from  on  high,  and 
cometh  down  from  the  Father  of  Light.  A  Missionary  should 
not  be  cast  down,  if  he  finds,  that  the  great  Grace  of  power  of 
converting  souls  be  not  given  to  him,  or  rather  that  he  thinks, 
that  it  has  not  been  given  in  the  way,  in  which  he  expected. 
Others  have  been  aware  of  the  gift  having  been  denied  them : 
to  some  the  power  of  the  brain,  to  some  the  charisma  of 
utterance,  has  not  been  conceded  ;  some  have  humbly  admitted, 
that  *'  they  thought,  that  they  had  not  the  power  of  bringing 
**  souls  one  after  another  to  Christ,  of  showing  them  their  sins,  of 
*'  breaking  down  the  barriers,  that  gird  the  heart  against  religious 
**  influence,  and  of  creating  in  them  a  sense  of  their  true  need." 
Perhaps  they  may  have  failed  in  words,  but  the  attracting  and 
converting  light  shone  out  of  their  deeds,  their  modes  of  ex- 
pression, their  earnest  countenances,  and  the  vision  of  their  lives  : 
there  are  diversities  of  gifts,  but  the  same  Spirit.  Of  the  Missionary, 
who  uttered  the  above  holy  and  humble  opinion  of  himself,  the 
natives,  among  whom  he  worked,  had  formed  another  estimate, 
and  described  him  as  *'  the  man,  who  prayed  for  the  African,  and 
tried  in  every  way  to  do  them  good^' :  of  another  Missionary  his 
people  still  speak  tenderly,  as  **  the  man,  who  after  Chrisfs 
example  died  for  us,  black  fellows  !  " 

And  the  spirituality,  which  once  existed,  may  die  :  In  the  elder 
Weitbrecht's  Journal  appears  the  following :  *'  Had  a  conversa- 


(     202     ) 

"  tion  with  Lacroix  on  the  sad  fact,  that  many  of  us  Missionaries 
"  lose  our  spirituality  while  engaged  in  our  work  :  it  is  necessary  to 
**  warm  the  heart  afresh  by  intercourse  with  Christians  at  home'.  " 
here  sounds  the  note  of  ''  voa-rak^na,''  which  marks  the  man  not 
entirely  devoted  to  his  Master :  at  any  rate  Weitbrecht  died  at 
his  post,  preaching  from  the  text  **  Even  so,  come.  Lord  Jesus." 
And  of  those,  who  humbly  thought,  that  they  had  not  the  gift, 
some  really  had  it;  and  some  glib  smart  talkers  utterly  failed, 
and  had  no  conception  of  the  nature  of  the  gift. 

3.  Failing  to  Master  the  Language. 

The  difficulty  of  mastering  the  language  is  always  to  be 
reckoned  with,  and  this,  in  fact,  fixes  the  Field  of  each  Mis- 
sionary for  life.  It  has  amused  me  to  hear  from  a  Missionary 
confidentially,  that  the  language,  which  he  has  acquired,  is  the 
most  difficult  of  all  languages.  This  assertion  is  sometimes 
made  with  regard  to  the  great  literary  language  of  Arabic, 
sometimes  with  regard  to  the  multiform,  yet  cultivated,  languages 
of  China,  and  sometimes  with  regard  to  the  wholly  illiterate  and 
uncultured  languages  of  Africa.  As  no  living  man  has  tried  to 
master  all  three,  the  degree  of  difficulty  may  be  hard  to  deter- 
mine ;  but  it  may  be  laid  down,  that  in  one  year  with  ordinary 
application  any  language  can  be  acquired  ;  and,  unless  it  be 
acquired,  the  Missionary  is  a  dumb  dog:  the  idea  of  preaching 
the  Gospel  through  an  interpreter,  or  in  a  mongrel  Coast-Patois, 
such  as  the  low  class  of  traders  use,  is  revolting.  It  is  im- 
possible for  me  to  acquiesce  in  the  practice  of  teaching  in 
Schools  and  Colleges  in  any  other  than  the  Vernacular  of  the 
Students.  The  policy  of  throwing  upon  the  Students  the  burden 
of  acquiring  a  new  language,  which  the  Professors  avoid,  is 
questionable.  I  mistrust  those  Societies,  in  which  the  Agents 
are  not  compelled  to  acquire  the  Vernaculars  :  any  departure 
from  this  absolute  rule  is  not  to  the  permanent  advantage  of 
the  Mission.  No  Secular  Government  would  tolerate  any 
breach  of  this  Rule  in  its  servants,  if  it  cared  for  the  weal  of 
the  people.  It  is  a  mere  burlesque  of  a  Mission,  where  this 
step  is  not  taken.  A  man  or  woman  can  care  but  little  for  the 
Souls  of  the  Heathen,  when  they  will  not  trouble  themselves  to 
understand  their  words,  and  let  them  understand  theirs.  All 
Missionaries  go  out  young,  and  the  greater  portion  have  that 
Educational  training,  which  implies  the  study  of  one  or  more 
foreign  languages.  I  think  poorly  of  the  man,  who  shirks  this 
obvious  duty.  It  shows  a  want  of  self-consecration.  I  heard 
the  other  day  a  Bishop,  who  did  not  choose  to  acquire  the 
Vernacular,  dilate  on  the  advantage  of  speaking  through  an 
Interpreter,  and  the  English  Ciergy,  who  went  out  on  a  winter's 


(     203     ) 

tour  to  India,  talk  in  the  same  way :  they  were  satisfied,  but 
how  about  the  people  ?  There  is  an  old  story  of  a  dog,  which 
had  lost  its  tail,  abusing  tails  generally,  and  recommending 
other  dogs  to  cut  theirs  off.  On  the  other  hand,  I  heard  Bishop 
Milman,  of  Calcutta,  preach  in  India,  in  Urdu,  which  he  had 
acquired  when  past  40  years  of  age. 

I  have  been  shocked  to  attend  Services  and  Meetings,  where 
Missionaries  even  of  seven  years  standing  could  not  preach  in 
their  Vernacular.  I  speak  as  one,  who  for  the  best  part  of  a 
quarter  of  a  Century,  ha^  to  conduct  intricate  business  of  the 
State  in  more  than  one  Vernacular:  any  public  servant,  who 
did  not  acquire  his  Vernacular,  was  put  on  board  ship  to  go 
home.  This  applies  to  every  kind  of  Missionary  without  excep- 
tion, and  to  both  sexes  :  if  it  be  not  idleness,  but  incapacity,  the 
Missionary  had  better  go  home.  "  If  he  does  not  get  over  the 
**  difficulty  after  living  among  the  people  one  whole  year,  there  is 
*'  little  likelihood  of  his  getting  over  it  at  all :  those,  who  defer 
**  the  study  and  the  practice  of  talking,  generally  neglect  it  alto- 
"  gether."  I  quote  this  last  from  the  *'  Missionary  Manual."  My 
own  experience  is,  that  the  majority  of  Missionaries  do  not  fail 
in  this  particular:  some  are  admirable,  and  vastly  superior  in 
their  style  of  speaking  to  the  officers  of  Government. 

4.  Losing  Heart  and  Desponding. 

Missionaries  should  not  be  down-hearted,  if  their  labours  are 
not  crowned  by  immediate  visible  success.  Nothing  is  more 
remarkable  in  Missionary-Annals  than  the  uncertainty  of  results. 
*'  I  planted,  Apollos  watered,  but  God  gave  the  increase."  We 
read  in  the  biographies  of  Missionaries,  how  in  some  cases  a 
harvest  suddenly  sprung  up,  and  then  all  faded  away :  in  other 
cases  no  harvest  at  all  appeared  in  the  lifetime  of  the  laborious 
founder,  but  soon  after  his  departure,  there  has  come  a  change, 
and  his  successor  has  entered  into  his  labours.  To  few  has  it 
been  conceded  to  do  what  is  recorded,  on  the  tombstone  of  a 
Missionary  in  one  of  the  Islands  of  Polynesia  :  "When  he  came 
there  were  no  Christians  ;  when  he  left  there  were  no  Heathen." 
After  all,  if  the  Missionary  has  preached  the  Gospel  faithfully, 
and  intelligently,  as  far  as  he  is  concerned,  his  work  is  done. 

There  is  a  streak  of  Egoism  underlying  this  despondency : 
if  he  recognised  himself  as  only  a  cog-wheel  in  the  great 
machine  of  Evangelization,  he  would  be  satisfied,  that  he  had 
done  his  best,  and  no  one  can  do  more.  Public  opinion  is 
in  every  field  of  human  life  unjust :  certain  men  and  women  are 
unduly  puffed  up,  while  the  silent  labourer,  faithful  to  the  end, 
leaves  no  name  behind  him :  what  matters  ?  His  works  will 
follow  him.     It  is  the  case  in  all  professions. 


(     204     ) 

There  are  grounds  for  despondency  both  for  the  European, 
and  the  Native,  Missionary,  more  for  the  latter  than  the  former. 
I  give  one  specimen  :  **  AH  the  life  and  work  of  the  place  are 
"  shadowed  by  an  immense  temple.  The  Evangelist  is  alone. 
"  Amid  the  constant  din  of  pipes  and  horns  and  tom-toms  in 
**  the  daily  processions,  that  one  man  is  but  an  insignificant 
**  presence,  and  his  voice  is  well-nigh  drowned.  Alone  he 
"  proclaims,  that  God  is  One  and  a  Spirit,  and  gets  back  for 
"  answer  a  flourish  of  horns.  Alone  he  insists,  that  He  is  a 
**  God  of  purity,  and  then  sees  Nauteh-girls  dance  defiance  to 
**  his  words  around  the  idol.  As  far  as  possible  this  painful 
"  solitude  is  relieved  by  visits  from  the  European  and  Native 
"  ministers,  and  by  tours  which  are  taken  by  several  Evangelists 
**  in  company.  Such  tours  are  generally  arranged,  so  as  to  give 
"  the  preachers  an  opportunity  of  speaking  at  the  markets,  fairs, 
**  and  festivals,  which  are  so  numerous  in  this  country." 

It  seems  wrong  to  leave  a  Native  Missionary  exposed  to  such 
trials,  especially  when  we  read  the  following :  **  Their  wives  have 
"  most  of  them  enjoyed  the  sheltering  influences  of  our  boarding- 
"  schools,  until  in  early  womanhood  they  were  called  out  to  the 
"  Lord's  work  in  towns  and  villages,  where  they  have  no 
**  Christian  neighbours  and  no  religious  helps.  Most  of  the 
**  people,  who  surround  them,  either  despise  or  abuse  them,  not 
**  infrequently  avoiding  their  presence  as  if  the  mere  shadow  of 
"  a  Christian  might  bring  an  epidemic." 

The  early  Christians  in  Europe  must  have  gone  through  the 
same  trials,  or  worse  ;  and  this  shows,  that  boarding-schools 
are  not  an  unmixed  blessing:  they  lift  the  tender  plant  into  a 
kind  of  preserve  out  of  the  forest,  and,  when  the  time  comes  to 
return  to  the  forest,  they  are  not  equal  to  the  fight  with  the 
hardy  plants.  We  must  think  of  Apostolic  and  sub-Apostolic 
times.  My  old  friend  and  teacher  Bishop  Daniel  Wilson  once 
remarked  from  the  pulpit  in  Calcutta;  that  **  there  was  no 
going  to  Heaven  in  velvet  slippers."  Each  of  us  must  take 
up  our  cross. 

5.  Quarrelsome. 

The  following  is  a  Bishop's  advice  :  **  Each  Missionary 
"  should  pray  for  mutual  love  and  concord  among  themselves ; 
"  that  they  may  learn  to  think  more  of  the  graces  of  their 
**  fellow-workers  than  of  their  defects  ;  that  they  may  never 
•*  intrude  their  own  opinions,  and  practices,  into  the  works  of 
**  another ;  that  they  may  be  very  slow  to  take  off"ence,  and 
**  always  answer  unkindliness,  and  injustice,  by  special  kindness, 
**  and  mutual  acts  of  self-denial,  and  self-forgetfulness,  that 
**  they  may  all  be  helpful  one  to  another,  and  with  or  without 
•*  them  God  may  be  glorified." 


(     205      ) 

Laymen  in  Committee  look  with  astonishment  on  the  quarrels, 
and  the  consequence  of  quarrels,  of  ordained  Missionaries. 
Everyone  in  official  life  knows,  how  often  he  is  yoked  with  an 
uncongenial  fellow-labourer,  yet  he  gets  on  by  mutual  con- 
cession, and  the  Government,  which  he  serves,  would  not  think 
well  of  him,  if  he  complained.  As  to  asking,  that  a  Colleague 
might  be  removed,  so  as  to  make  oneself  more  comfortable,  I 
never  heard  of  such  a  thing :  when  this  state  of  affairs 
transpires,  a  move  is  often  made,  so  as  to  oil  the  working  of 
the  machine  :  but  I  have  known  Missionaries  ask  for  men  to  he 
removed,  regardless  of  the  deep  injury  done  to  the  man  removed, 
the  serious  expense  to  the  Society,  the  injury  to  the  work  of  the 
Mission,  and,  if  he  could  look  forward,  the  entire  discredit  to 
the  judgment  of  the  applicant. 

In  India  I  have  known  the  Magistrate  having  to  interfere  to 
prevent  a  breach  of  the  peace  betwixt  two  Missionaries  quarrel- 
ling about  their  dwelling-house :  I  have  found  Members  of  the 
same  Mission,  all  noble  and  God-fearing  men,  living  in  total 
estrangement,  with  no  possible  hope  of  reconciliation.  I  can 
point  out  Stations  with  only  two  Missionaries,  unable  to  live 
together,  and  as  hostile  as  dogs  and  cats.  Public  servants  of 
the  State  do  not  act  like  this,  and  are  spiritual  men  made  of 
baser  clay  ?  Under  the  Statue  of  King  Henry  V  of  England  at 
All  Souls'  College,  Oxford,  is  inscribed  :  '*  Conqueror  of  his 
Enemies,  and  of  Himself."  Under  the  photograph  of  each 
Missionary  let  these  blessed  words  be  recorded  :  "  Converter  of 
the  Heathen,  and  of  Himself." 

I  now  quote  from  a  Manual,  composed  by  a  Missionary: 
**  Quarrels  are  specially  rife  at  small  stations  :  Missionaries, 
**  accustomed  to  command  natives,  become  very  dogmatic,  and 
"  desirous  to  have  their  own  way ;  thus  a  Mission  ceases  to  be 
**  a  model  of  Apostolic  zeal,  and  self-denial,  and  becomes  a 
"hot-bed  of  jealousy;  small  men  contending  bitterly  with 
"  each  other  for  the  exercise  of  a  feeble  power.  Missionaries 
**  are  notorious  for  littleness,  narrowness,  and  puny  mental 
**  character ;  a  record  of  their  disputes  would  form  a  humiliat- 
"  ing  chapter  in  the  history  of  Missions :  these  quarrels  are 
"always,  according  to  themselves,  on  principle:  if  they  are 
"  reminded  of  the  course  laid  down  in  the  New  Testament  they 
*•  reply,  '  Oh  1  that  does  not  apply  to  this  case.'  Through  the 
"  deceitfulness  of  the  human  heart  the  working  of  self-esteem, 
•*  and  jealousy,  are  regarded  as  zeal  for  the  Truth,  and  the 
•*  advancement  of  Christ's  Kingdom." 

Perhaps  their  wives  fall  out :  some  brood  over  the  imaginary 
injury  in  silence ;  some  write  to  their  friends ;  some  send  to  the 
Committee  a  formal  complaint,  without  letting  the  other  side 
know ;  some  write  to  the  offending  party :    half  a  sentence  in  a 


(     206     ) 

letter  misunderstood  gives  rise  to  a  correspondence,  which 
would  fill  a  volume.  The  proper  course  for  us  all  would  be : 
"  if  our  brother  has  ought  against  us,  to  go  and  tell  him 
his  fault  alone." 


6.   Puffed  up  by  Undue  Praise  :   Declamation. 

The  Missionary  should  abstain  from  frothy  Declamation  and 
Egoism.  Where  is  boasting  ?  it  is  excluded :  yet  that  such  are 
the  failings  of  inferior  Missionaries,  there  is  no  doubt.  Hear 
what  that  aged  and  experienced  Christian  Lord  Shaftesbury  said 
at  a  public  meeting  in  my  hearing  a  few  years  ago  :  *'  I  notice, 
**  that  the  Reports  of  the  Missionary-Societies  show  a  great 
**  deal  more  sense  than  they  used  to  do.  They  are  not  so  full 
*•  of  magnificent  declamation,  or  great  promises.  They  state 
**  things  more  accurately,  telling  their  obstacles  and  difficulties, 
"  and  they  are  beginning  to  come  round  to  this  great  truth,  and 
"  the  sooner  it  is  known  the  better,  that  certainly  Missionary- 
"  Societies  are  not  the  great  instruments,  by  which  God  will 
**  convert  this  world.  This  is  reserved  for  One  higher.  It  is 
**  because  Missionary-Societies  had  held  out  such  prodigious 
"  expectations,  and  made  such  large  promises,  that  the  infidels 
**  can  turn  upon  us  and  say,  *  After  all  you  have  said,  what  have 
"  you  done  ?'  If  we  had  told  them  that  our  Mission  was  to 
**  carry  the  Gospel  to  every  creature,  and  spread  it  over  the  face 
**  of  the  earth,  leaving  the  issue  to  God,  we  should  have  stood  a 
"  better  chance  in  argument  with  infidels  and  gainsayers.  I 
'*  know  that  Missionary-Societies  do  not  like  to  be  told  this,  and, 
**  when  to-night  I  said  at  a  Meeting,  that  we  must  look  chiefly  for 
**  the  grand  final  consummation  of  the  Second  Advent,  it  was 
"  not  denied,  but  was  not  well  received.  It  will  be  asked  of 
**  your  Society,  What  can  it  do  ?  Well,  if  it  depended  on  your 
**  intellectual  and  physical  strength,  very  little  could  be  done  ; 
**  but  you  must  remember,  that  you  are  engaged  in  raising  up  a 
**  Native  Agency,  and,  if  you  establish  the  nucleus  of  that,  it  is 
"  impossible  to  predict  the  issue.  Our  duty  is  perfectly  clear. 
**  We  are  to  do  our  best,  and  leave  the  issue  with  God.  He  will 
"  superintend  such  a  work  as  this,  and  carry  it  to  a  right  issue. 
"  Our  duty  is  to  sow  the  knowledge  of  Christ,  and  do  everything 
**  we  can,  so  that,  when  the  people  of  India  become  an  adult 
**  Nation  capable  of  governing  themselves,  or  desiring  to  do  it, 
**  or  taking  it  into  their  own  hands,  whether  we  desire  it  or  not, 
"  we  may  prepare  for  that  day  by  sowing  broadcast  the  Word  of 
**  God.  Whenever  we  shall  retire  from  India,  do  not  let  it  be  said, 
**  that  we  have  left  only  in  India  the  traces  of  Western  vice  and 
**  oppression,  but  let  it  be  known,  that  we  have  sown  the  seed 
**  of  Gospel-Truth,  and  done  all  we  can  to  fix  that  in  the  hearts^, 


(     207     ) 

*'  of  the  people,  without  which  no  Nation  can  subsist  in  peace 
"  and  honour ;  and  in  sowing  the  seed  of  the  Gospel,  be  sure 
"  of  this :  that  we  have  sown  the  seed  of  political  morality  and 
"  domestic  virtue." 

Hear  also  what  another  aged  Christian,  with  a  still  more 
intimate  knowledge  of  the  idiosyncrasies  of  men,  remarked  at  a 
dismissal  of  Missionaries  of  his  own  Society:  "Mr.  Venn  was 
**  so  infirm  (1872)  that  he  could  not  stand  up,  but  he  read  an 
"  address  to  the  Missionaries  :  he  remarked,  that  Selfishness,  and 
"  Self-seeking,  were  the  bane  of  Missionary-life  and  work.  My 
"  work,  my  catechists,  my  teachers,  my  converts,  my  pupils,  was 
**  a  language,  that  always  pained  him.  One  of  his  hearers,  an 
"  old  Missionary,  now  at  rest,  adds,  that  he  could  not  acquit 
"  himself  of  the  charge.  Yes,  it  is  the  tyrant  Self^  that  must 
**  decrease,  before  Christ  can  increase." 

I  can  confirm  the  truth  of  Mr.  Venn's  complaint  from  my  own 
experience.  Whence  come  wars  and  fightings  among  you } 
Come  they  not  from  Self?  In  all  my  experience  I  never  knew 
men  so  opiniated,  so  thoroughly  perverse,  and  unreasonable,  so 
harsh  in  their  judgment  of  others,  and  so  wilfully  disobedient 
to  orders,  as  some  Missionaries.  I  speak  as  a  Public  Officer, 
who  has  had  to  obey,  and  thus  learnt  how  to  command. 

The  cause  is  the  puffing  up  of  the  Missionary-Platform  in 
Exeter  Hall,  and  elsewhere  :  it  is  not  surprising,  that  many  men 
of  moderate  self-control  lose  their  balance,  and  fancy,  that  they 
have  done  wonders  :  it  depends  on  the  temperament  of  the 
man,  for  some,  who  have  really  done  wonders,  are  scarcely 
aware  of  it. 

1  now  quote  the  words  of  one,  who  is  dead,  and  from  whose 
pen  I  never  expected  to  read  such  lines,  with  which  I  heartily 
agree,  though  I  ever  entirely  disapproved  of  the  policy,  practice, 
and  utterances,  on  other  occasions  of  the  writer ;  This  paper  is 
entitled  "  Warnings  not  generally  given." 

*'  Farewell-Meetings.  Here  we  find  ourselves  surrounded  by 
**  scores,  perhaps  hundreds,  of  kind,  sympathetic  friends  in  a 
"  most  uncritical  mood,  ready  to  applaud  us  enthusiastically, 
**  whether  we  talk  sense  or  nonsense.  Every  speech,  every 
**  prayer,  reminds  us  of  the  things  we  are  giving  up,  while  no 
**  warning  voice  tells  us  of  the  fame  or  popularity,  that  we  are 
**  likely  to  get  in  exchange  ;  no  one  points  out  to  the  audience, 
**  that  in  almost  every  part  of  the  world  white  traders  press  in 
"  more  rapidly  than  the  Missionaries,  and  face  equal  hardships 
**  for  the  same,  or  in  many  cases  even  less  rates  of  pay;  yet  no 
**  one  ever  speaks  of  their  devotion.  If,  then,  we  listen  to  all, 
"  that  is  told  us  at  these  farewell-meetings,  and  forget  the  things 
"  that  are  not  told  us,  we  very  soon  form  most  exaggerated 
<*  notions  of  our  own  devotion  and  hardihood,  while  the  con- 


(     208     ) 

"  tinual  note  of  praise  sows  the  seeds  of  that  impatience  of 
"  criticism,  to  which  foreign  Missionaries,  as  a  class,  are  so 
*•  subject." 

As  an  instance  of  declamation,  I  quote  the  utterances  of  an 
itinerant  American  Pioneer:  "God  has  declared  His  decree  to 
'*  the  eifect,  that  Heathendom,  and  all  princes  and  people,  and 
"  all  the  powers  of  this  world,  must  either  surrender  to  the 
**  Living  Christ,  or  be  dashed  to  pieces  like  a  potter's  vessel. 
**  We  can  see,  how  all  the  heathen  Empires  of  the  world,  which 
**  have  resisted  Jesus  Christ,  have  gone  down  under  appalling 
**  calamities,  and  how  all  Nations  which,  having  once  received 
**  the  Gospel,  subsequently  closed  the  Bible,  have,  as  by  an 
"  irreversible  decree,  fallen  steadily  away  from  their  former 
**  greatness,  and  sunk  into  second  and  third-class  powers.  I 
"  appeal  to  my  Indian  hearers  not  to  put  themselves  in 
"  opposition  to  the  Lord  and  His  Anointed,  and  I  read  the 
*•  Second  Psalm  as  the  basis  of  my  closing  appeal  to  them." 

Fortunately  the  preacher  knew  nothing  but  English  :  so  none 
could  understand  him  but  educated  Collegians,  who  would  con- 
sider the  subject  academically.  I  cannot  imagine  a  line  of 
reasoning  more  foolish,  and  more  unsuited  to  the  great  Problem 
of  the  Conversion  of  India,  than  this. 

7.  Meddlers  and  Busybodies. 

In  reading  my  Greek  Testament  I  came  to  I  Peter,  iv,  15, 
"  Let  none  of  you  suffer  as  a  murderer,  or  a  thief,  or  an  evil- 
doer, or  as  a  busybody  in  other  men's  matters  "  :  the  word  used 
for  "  busybody  "  is  **  a\\oT/3<o67r/<T/co7ros,"  rendered  by  Tertullian 
"alieni  speculator":  Bishop  Wordsworth  renders  it:  "one 
who  sets  himself  as  an  overseer  and  censor  of  what  belongs  to 
others;  a  judge  of  other  men's  servants":  It  might  have  been 
supposed,  that  the  Missionary,  being  tolerated  in  a  non- 
Christian  Empire,  would  behave  himself  cautiously,  and  keep 
to  his  sacred  duties  of  preaching  the  Gospel,  and  building  up 
Churches  :  It  is  much  to  be  regretted,  that  in  China  more 
particularly,  and  in  India  to  a  certain  extent,  the  British  Mis- 
sionary has  departed  from  the  line  traced  out  for  him  by  the 
Bible,  and  meddles  with  Politics. 

The  Missionary  is  sent  out  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  he  will 
find,  that  to  do  that  properly  will  require  all  his  time,  strength, 
and  ability.  He  should  not  meddle  with  matters,  lying  out  of 
the  orbit  of  his  chosen  and  blessed  duty.  Paul  is  his  great 
example.  At  Corinth,  or  at  Rome,  he  saw  "Nothing  but  Christ 
crucified."  Missionaries  should  not  take  up  fads,  and  give  way 
to  crazes,  and  join  Crusades  against  the  evils  of  this  wicked 
world.     Many  practices,  which  seem  strange  to  them,  have  the 


(     209     ) 

sanction  of  Centuries,  such  as  child-marriages,  and  will  only 
be  abandoned  under  the  gradual  enlightenment  of  Christian 
Education,  or  give  way  to  civilized  customs  of  a  much  worse 
type. 

Most  objectionable  is  his  interference  with  the  customs  of 
the  people,  such  as  are  not  obviously  contrary  to  Law,  Human 
and  Divine,  or  his  denouncing  particular  branches  of  Commerce. 
The  Home-Society  should  forbid  all  such  extravagances,  and 
insist  upon  their  Agents  rendering  unto  Caesar  the  things  that 
are  Caesar's,  and  fixing  their  thoughts  upon  the  things  of  God. 

The  Jesuits  last  Century  made  themselves  Priests  and  Kings, 
and  were  detested,  and  exterminated  :  I  quote  the  following 
with  regard  to  China : 

"  In  regard  to  the  Missionary-question  the  Yamen's  views  are 
"  sound,  and  excellent:  it  recognises  the  fact,  that  by  Treaty 
"  the  Missionaries  are  to  be  allowed  to  teach,  and  protection  is 
'*  guaranteed  to  them,  and  their  converts:  but  it  will  not  submit 
**  to  Missionaries  arrogating  to  themselves  an  official  status, 
"  and  transacting  business,  which  can  only  be  profitably  dealt 
"  with  by  the  Chinese  local  authorities,  nor  will  it  tolerate  their 
*'  converts  making  Christianity  a  cloak,  to  protect  them  from 
**  the  consequences  of  breaking  the  laws  of  China." 

The  subjects  of  interference  by  Missionaries  in  China  are 
connected  with  the  Opium-Traffic,  and  the  binding  of  women's 
feet :  in  India  they  attempt  to  interfere  in  matters  connected 
with  the  manufacture  of  Opium,  the  Drink-Traffic,  and  the 
morals  of  the  British  Soldiers  in  their  Cantonments.  It  is  not 
to  the  credit  of  the  Missionaries,  who  thus  play  the  part  of 
busybodies,  which  the  Apostle  Peter  classes  in  the  same  category 
with  Murderers,  Thieves,  and  Evildoers.  How  different  was 
the  attitude  assumed  by  Paul,  who  had  to  face  the  much  greater 
sins  of  the  Empire  of  Rome !  There  is  an  extensive  literature 
on  the  subject,  so  I  say  no  more. 

My  opinion  is,  that  the  Missionary  should  mind  his  own 
business,  and,  following  the  example  of  Paul,  keep  on  good 
terms  with  the  Powers  that  rule,  whether  in  British  India, 
China,  Japan,  or  Turkey :  he  should  abstain  from  writing  com- 
plaints home,  but  get  access  to  the  local  authorities,  and  get 
them  over  to  his  side  by  the  pleasantness  of  his  bearing,  and 
conversation.  Missionaries  very  rarely  quarrel  with  the  Authori- 
ties in  British  India,  as  they  are  highly  valued,  and  as  a  rule 
are  reasonable  men.  The  elder  Missionaries  never  think  of 
complaining :  they  put  up  with  little  inconveniences,  and  get 
their  way  in  the  long  run,  when  their  wishes  are  reasonable. 
The  difference  is  well-known  between  the  real  Gospel-preacher, 
the  simple-hearted  Missionary,  and  the  grievance-monger,  the 
spy,  who  introduces  himself  into  the  Military  Cantonments,  to 


(     210     ) 

watch  the  sad  weaknesses  of  the  brave,  but  thoughtless,  British 
Soldier,  the  frothy  declaimer  against  the  Liquor- Shop,  and  the 
man,  who  is  always  at  war  with  the  Education-Department. 
The  former  are  loved,  honoured,  and  always  welcome.  The 
latter  are  a  disgrace  to  the  name  of  Missionary. 

8.  Marrying  Early. 

This  is  one  of  the  greatest  errors  in  our  present  Missionary- 
system.  Some  Societies  have  broken  away  from  the  old 
practices,  and  adopted  a  wiser  course ;  but  the  evil  is  still  one 
of  the  greatest.  It  will  be  remarked,  that  public  opinion  is 
gradually  coming  round :  I  remember  the  time,  when  a  certain 
Missionary  was  ordained,  and  married,  on  the  same  day,  and 
thought,  that  he  had  done  a  good  stroke  of  business  :  when  I 
met  him  last,  his  wife  was  dead,  and  he  had  been  dismissed  by 
his  Society. 

It  is  mere  waste  of  time  to  discuss  the  comparative  advantage 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  and  Protestant  Systems,  and  to  answer 
the  sneers  on  the  great  expense  of  widows  and  children,  which 
their  System  obviates.  I  am  not  one,  who  does  not  admit  the 
great  devotion  of  the  celibates  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  both  male 
and  female ;  and  the  great  simplicity  and  economy,  as  well  as 
purity,  of  their  lives.  The  answer  is  sufficient,  that  the  Protestant 
Church  will  not  allow  any  restriction  on  natural  liberty  not 
based  on  Scripture.  Still,  early  marriages  are  to  be  deprecated. 
The  young  public  servant  in  India  does  not  marry  directly  he 
lands  in  the  country,  and  yet  lives  a  holy  life  :  he  waits  until  he 
has  learnt  his  duty,  and  mastered  the  language  by  living  among 
the  people.  Why  should  not  young  Missionaries  exert  the  same 
measure  of  self-denial  ?  An  engagement  to  marry,  made  before 
even  the  Missionary  is  accepted,  throws  a  doubt  upon  his 
motives.  It  shows  an  absence  of  self-consecration.  In  Africa 
the  Missionary  must  return  home  at  short  and  stated  periods,  as 
the  best  chance  of  preserving  his  life:  in  India,  China,  and 
other  places,  this  is  not  necessary,  but  he  should  return  after 
more  than  ten  years :  these  intervals  should  be  utilized  by  the 
Missionary  to  perfect  his  knowledge  on  particular  subjects. 
Ill-health  may  compel  earlier  return,  but  the  health  of  a  Mis- 
sionary's wife  or  child  should  never  be  allowed  to  be  a  reason 
for  his  leaving  his  post.  The  servants  of  the  State  habitually 
send  home  their  wives  and  children  under  suitable  escort,  and 
widows  in  bad  health  are  constantly  coming  home :  the  Com- 
mittee should  sternly  resist  the  tendency  of  men  to  place  the 
health  of  their  wives  above  their  sacred  duties.  Our  Lord,  and 
Paul,  have  spoken  clearly  on  this  subject.  That  a  Missionary 
should  resign  his  high  office,  because  his  wife  is  unable  to  go 


(     211     ) 

back  with  him,  is  a  lamentable  instance  of  the  decay  of  fibre  in 
the  Missionaries  of  modern  times.  How  many  Governors,  and 
Generals,  go  out  alone  to  serve  an  Earthly  Sovereign  ?  Is  the 
Soldier  of  Christ  not  to  endure  hardship  ? 

On  the  other  hand,  the  sending  out  of  young  women  to 
Africa,  merely  to  die,  is  a  cruelty,  which  cannot  be  too  severely 
condemned.  How  many  young  wives  lie  buried  in  Africa, 
valuable  lives  needlessly  thrown  away !  The  African  Mission  is 
a  Campaign,  and  Soldiers  do  not  take  their  wives  on  a  Campaign. 
I  have  steadily,  but  fruitlessly,  resisted  this  weakness  for  many 
years,  and  have  seen  a  succession  of  young  wives  pass  from  the 
Committee-Room  into  African  graves.  The  really  offensive 
suggestion,  that  a  Missionary  in  Africa  must  be  married,  should 
not  be  entertained.  Those,  who  have  made  moral  lapses,  have 
all  been  widowers,  or  married  men.  We  must  look  this  matter 
firmly  in  the  face,  and  the  example  of  Missions  in  Africa,  where 
all  the  Agents  are  single,  should  be  followed,  except  in  those 
Stations,  where  a  Christian  community  requires  the  care  of  a 
Female  Missionary.  I  have  letters  from  a  Missionary  in  the 
Field,  supporting  my  views,  and  stating  distinctly,  that,  until  a 
Mission  has  attained  a  certain  stage  of  advance,  the  presence 
of  married  women  is  a  decided  drawback  to  the  Lord's  work. 
I  earnestly  hope,  that  Committees  will  give  this  subject  careful 
consideration. 

Some  Missionary-Societies,  and  Training-Colleges,  have 
become  mere  Matrimonial  Agencies:  still  there  is  a  marked 
tendency  to  recognise  the  evil,  and  to  try  to  cope  with  it.  This 
is  the  argument  of  one  Society,  the  most  devoted  to  Matrimony : 
"  It  is  doubtless  wise,  that  both  parties  should  spend  a  few  years 
'*  in  the  Field  before  marriage,  to  acquire  the  language,  get  accli- 
"  matized,  and  approve  themselves  by  doing  some  good  work. 
**  Missionaries  should  not  marry  too  early,  and  should  choose 
"  only  Missionaries,  for  no  more  fatal  hindrance  to  a  man  could 
"  well  be  imagined  than  an  unmissionary-spirited  wife.  It  is  to 
"  be  feared  that  some  have  forgotten,  that  a  worldly  woman, 
"  or  even  an  unspiritual  Christian,  can  never  be  a  helpmeet 
"  for  one,  who  wishes  to  serve  God  among  the  Heathen. 
"  The  Bible  knows  nothing  of  monks  and  nuns,  and  the  Heathen 
"  distrust  unmarried  men  and  women.  Marriage  is  God's 
**  ordinance,  and  a  pastor  is  to  be  the  husband  of  one  wife. 
**  A  resident  Missionary  is  a  pastor,  and  according  to  universal 
*'  testimony,  a  good  wife  is  the  best  colleague  he  can  have. 
*'  With  itinerants  the  case  is  different ;  but  few  itinerate  all  their 
"  lives.  Undoubtedly  in  the  Mission-Field,  as  at  home,  the 
**  married  will  have  trouble  in  the  flesh,  trouble  which  the  single 
"  escape.  The  principle,  which  the  Apostle  laid  down,  that 
*'  celibacy  is  good  for  the  present  distress  has  its  application 


•(     212     ) 

*'  in  the  case  of  pioneers  in  dangerous  climates.  But  as  soon 
"  as  Stations  are  planted,  and  regular  work  begun,  women  are 
"  wanted,  unless  precious  opportunities  are  to  be  lost.  The 
"  well-being  of  the  Missionary  himself  demands,  that  he  have  a 
"  home.  Domestic  duties  must  be  attended  to,  with  care  and 
"  skill  in  uncivilized  countries  and  dangerous  climates,  yet  they 
"  only  waste  the  time  of  a  man.  Heathen  women  and  girls 
"  must  be  sought,  taught,  and  cared  for,  and  men  cannot 
'*  do  this." 

Hear  what  the  Romish  Priests  think  of  this  :  "  II  n'est  pas 
"  rare  d'apprendre  le  marriage  d'un  Missionaire  avec  une 
**  Missionaire :  la  nouvelle  dame  est  invitee  4  conserver  son 
**  emploi,  mais  si  son  role  de  m^re  lui  suffit,  elle  revolt  un 
'*  subside  pour  elle,  et  pour  chacun  de  ses  enfants.  Peu-a-peu  le 
'*  jour  vient,  ou  I'apotre  fatigu^e  change  de  vigne,  et  va  ex- 
"  ploiter  pour  sa  famille  un  nouveau  champ.  Pour  le  Missionaire 
'*  Catholique  c'est  sans  esprit  de  retourner  qu'il  est  venu :  C'est 
"  pour  la  vie."     Missions  Catholiques,  1891,  p.  93. 

Allusion  is  made  to  the  Missionary  giving  up  his  vocation  to 
suit  his  wife's  health  :  this  will  be  discussed  later  on  :  there  are 
incidents  in  Missionary-Marriages,  which  precede  this  final 
turning  the  back  on  the  plough  of  the  Missionary,  and  mani- 
festing his  own  unworthiness ;  that  is  to  say,  the  deserting  his 
colours,  and  leaving  the  Field  on  account  of  his  wife's  health : 
In  the  Bible-House  one  Member  openly  stated,  that  every  man 
was  bound  to  come  home  once  a  year  to  comfort  his  wife :  In 
Missionary-circles  a  greater  interval  is  required,  as  evidenced  by 
the  Church-Missionary-Society /«/f///^^«rfr  of  Dec,  1893:  '*  In 
"  returning  to  England  at  the  Committee's  request,  Bishop 
"  Tucker  is  doing  a  wise  thing.  His  presence  here  for  a  few 
**  months  will  be  of  great  value,  for  consultation,  for  influencing 
'•  the  country  on  the  question  of  the  future  of  U-Ganda,  and  for 
*'  obtaining  fresh  recruits.  It  would  be  short-sighted  indeed  to 
'*  question  this.  Another  visit  home  would  be  reasonable  and 
"  right,  even  if  it  had  no  other  object  than  to  see  the  wife  and 
**  son  from  whom  (at  present)  Africa  separates  him.  But  in 
"  existing  circumstances,  even  if  they  were  in  Africa,  it  would 
"  be  right  for  him  to  leave  them,  and  come  to  England  in  the 
"  interests  of  the  Mission.  Financially,  of  course,  such  a  visit 
"  pays  itself  twenty  times  over." 

The  Editor  of  the  Intelligencer,  having  thus  intruded  into  the 
family-secrets  of  a  Bishop,  I  have  broken  my  rule,  and  given 
his  name. 

As  regards  the  Missionaries,  I  classify  their  cases.  The 
Marriage-Bell  sounds  cheerily  through  every  page  of  the 
Reports,  the  Agenda  of  the  sub-Committees,  and  the  Agenda 
of  every  Committee,  Corresponding,  or  General.    Weddings  and 


1^     zio      ; 

Births  are  the  conspicuous  feature,  and  every  death 
infant  is  recorded  with  proper  terms  of  sympathy.  The 
assumes   the   characteristics   of  the    Matrimonial   and 


ms  or  sympainy.      i  ne  r^epori 
the    Matrimonial   and    Family 


1.  The    Missionary   leaves   his    Field    for    England    to    get 

married  ;  he  names  the  woman  to  the  Committee,  and 
asks  leave. 

2.  The  Husband  leaves  his  Field  to  take  his  sick  wife  home, 

and  is  not  ashamed  to  leave  his  flock,  his  school,  and 
his  work. 

3.  The    son   leaves   his    Field    on   account   of  his    Mother's 

serious  illness  ;  he  comes  home  again  soon  afterwards 
in  consequence  of  her  death  to  wind  up  her  affairs. 

4.  The  loss  of  little  children  is  reported  repeatedly. 

5.  Two  Missionaries  proposed  by  telegram  to  their  friends, 

but  both  died  soon  after  "  re  infecta." 

6.  A   Missionary   summoned    home    by   telegram    from    the 

Panjab,  and  another  from  Egypt,  to  visit  his  sick  wife 
at  the  expense  of  the  Society. 

7.  The  husband  is  unable  to  return  to  his  Field,  because  his 

wife  is  too  ill  to  accompany  him. 

8.  The  husband  throws  up  his  Vocation,  because  his  wife  is 

sick,  and  takes  a  living  in  England :  their  consecrated 
labours  thus  come  to  an  untimely  end,  and  all  the 
expense  of  their  long  training  in  a  Missionary-College 
is  lost  to  the  Society,  for  they  have  neither  the  wish, 
nor  the  means,  to  pay  the  forfeit. 

9.  The  Missionary  on  the  Upper  Niger  conducts  his  wife  to 

the  Canary  Islands  for  her  confinement,  and  takes  the 
Medical-Missionary  of  the  Mission  from  his  hospital, 
and  sacred  duties,  with  him  to  assist  at  the  event.  The 
Missionary  is  recorded  to  be  an  "  unpaid "  Agent, 
paying  his  own  expenses,  but  he  sends  in  and  receives 
/  80  from  the  Society  for  the  unexpected  expenditure 
of  the  confinement ;  surely  Marriage  implies  such 
possibilities. 

The  Report  of  the  Church-Missionary-Society  generally 
informs  the  readers  of  the  parentage  of  the  woman  married  :  In 
another  report  I  read,  that  white  children  are  an  object-lesson  of 
Christianity :  In  my  hearing  the  present  Bishop  of  Calcutta  at  a 
Meeting  in  London  stated,  that  the  exhibition  of  a  white  Baby 
was  favourable  to  Conversion :  as  a  matter  of  surprise  the  ex- 
hibition of  a  spaniel,  or  a  ferret,  would  have  had  more  effect. 
In  Bishop  Taylor's  Self-supporting  Mission  in  VV.  Africa,  South 
of  the  Equator,  the  children  and  babies  are  alLfiQJinted  in  the 

/7— -•  •«»wiT>c?Tnn'«" 


(     214     ) 

effective  staff  of  the  Mission.  The  American  Missionaries 
continually  describe  the  contemplation  of  American  Family-life 
as  one  of  the  Christianizing  influences  on  the  Heathen  ;  the 
Romish  Priest  uses  exactly  the  contrary  argument,  and  with 
some  force. 

I  heard  one  Secretary  to  a  Society  state,  that  it  was  important, 
that  Missionaries  should  have  wives ;  but  this  will  not  prevent 
their  being  widowers,  and  it  is  the  widowers,  who  have  given 
such  great  cause  for  scandal :  I  heard  another  Secretary  say, 
that  the  Missionaries  came  chiefly  from  a  class,  which  always 
married  at  puberty:  I  have  witnessed  a  case  of  a  man  being 
engaged  as  a  Missionary,  who  had  already  four  children  :  then 
sometimes  the  Committee  has  to  send  out  a  Governess  to 
educate  children  of  a  widower,  or  a  grown-up  daughter,  not  as 
a  Missionary,  but  merely  to  join  her  parents :  sometimes  the 
wife  of  a  Missionary,  the  so-called  mother  of  the  Mission,  is 
absent  from  the  Field  many  years  to  look  after  her  own  children 
in  England  :  sometimes  widows  get  pensions,  who  have  never 
been  out  in  the  Field  at  all.  In  other  walks  of  life  the  young 
engaged  couple  wait,  and,  when  they  marry,  they  do  so  at  their 
own  cost  and  risks :  in  the  Missionary-Society  the  practice  is 
just  the  reverse. 

A  Bishop  writes  as  follows,  and  his  words  are  entered  in  the 
Report:  "We  had  to  part  with  six  of  our  seven  children,  a  larger 
"  proportion  than  we  have  ever  before  had  to  forsake  for  Christ: 
"  we  found  our  dear  brother  with  his  six  round  his  table  every 
**  day :  this  excited  our  envy."  All  these  exhibitions  of  parental 
affection  are  charming,  but  it  is  not  Evangelization ;  it  is  more 
suitable  for  the  Matrimonial  News,  and  these  few  lines  give  an 
idea,  though  only  a  faint  one,  of  the  heavy  burden  imposed  on 
the  Society,  which  has  to  clothe,  feed,  and  educate,  these  children 
till  they  are  sixteen. 

I  wonder,  that  the  subject  is  not  looked  at  from  another  point 
of  view :  the  burden  of  domestic  cares  in  a  foreign  country 
thrown  upon  both  husband  and  wife,  the  constant  anxieties,  the 
repeated  losses  of  children,  the  miserable  economies,  which  are 
necessary,  the  sufferings  of  the  mother,  the  separation,  and  the 
uncertain  prospects  in  life  of  a  pack  of  children  thrown  on  the 
hands  of  the  Society :  the  woes  of  the  parochial  clergy  are 
now  brought  to  notice :  why  are  ordained  men  more  reckless  in 
such  matters  than  laymen  } 

In  this  respect  the  Missionary  resembles  the  people,  to  con- 
vert whom  he  is  sent :  Sir  W.  Hunter  writes  thus  about  the 
people  of  India:  "I  deal  with  the  ever-present  problem  of 
*'  India,  a  population  which  marries  as  a  religious  duty,  and 
**  produces  new  mouths  to  be  fed,  without  concerning  itself  as 
•'  to  the  increased  means  of  subsistence." 


(     215     ) 


A  Correspondent  in  the  Record  Newspaper  stated  the 
Case  Fairly  in  1891. 

"  Married  Missionaries.  Sir,  Your  correspondent  *  A  Vicar  ' 
"  on  the  above  subject  has  been  taken  to  task  very  rightly  by 
"  your  correspondents  in  your  issue  of  July  3  for  censuring  an 
"  absent  brother,  without  being  familiar  with  all  the  facts  of  the 
"  case.  The  subject,  which  has  been  raised  is,  notwithstanding, 
'*  extremely  important,  and  vital  to  the  interest  of  Foreign 
"  Missions.  As  a  bachelor  and  a  Missionary,  I  should  like  to 
*'  point  out  what  seems  the  obvious  lesson  to  be  learnt  from  the 
•'  case  in  point,  or  from  the  frequent  cases,  where  a  Missionary 
"  has  been  compelled  to  leave  the  Field  on  account  of  his  wife's 
*'  health.  Surely  any  of  us,  who  are  young  and  unmarried,  should 
"  think  very  seriously  before  we  enter  into  such  a  relationship. 
"  In  most  parts  of  Africa,  and  in  other  countries,  where  the 
"  climate  is  malarious,  the  conditions  seem  to  me  very  much 
"  unsuited  for  married  women,  and,  if  two  Missionaries  on  the 
"  field  unite  in  marriage,  the  possibility  of  their  being  able  to 
"  stay  in  the  country  is  diminished  twofold,  or  in  the  case  of 
"  a  family  even  more  ;  and  can  it  be  said,  that  either  of  them 
"  can  give  so  much  attention  to  our  primary  work,  for,  as 
"  Paul  says  '  He  that  is  married  careth  for  the  things  of  this 
'*  world,  how  he  may  please  his  wife.'  We  might  well,  all  of 
"  us,  take  earnest  heed  to  the  rest  of  that  seventh  chapter  of 
"  I  Corinthians,  which  most  people  seem  to  explain  away,  or 
"  else  say,  that  it  is  only  Paul's  advice,  as  he  had  '  no  com- 
'*  mandment  of  the  Lord.'  In  any  case,  I  should  prefer 
"  Paul's  judgment  to  that  of  any  living  man.  Dr.  Cust, 
"  in  'Four  Essays  on  Missionary  Subjects,'  gives  us  some  very 
**  common-sense  remarks  on  Matrimony,  which  would  carry  all 
*'  the  greater  weight,  were  it  not  combined  with  some  rather 
"  sarcastic  allusions  to  some  individual  cases.  I  am  no  advocate 
"  of  enforced  Celibacy,  but,  if  we  Missionaries  would  put  the 
"  Lord's  work  first,  before  considering  such  a  step,  there  would 
*'  be  fewer  instances  of  abandonment  of  posts  in  a  foreign  Field 
**  for  family- reasons.  At  any  rate  I  think  no  Missionary  has  a 
*'  right  to  marry  without  very  carefully,  as  in  God's  sight, 
*'  counting  the  cost,  and  believing,  that  it  is  truly  for  the  good  of 
•'  work.  I  have  no  desire  to  criticize  the  conduct  of  anyone, 
**  but  only  wish  to  give  my  testimony  for  the  sake  of  those,  who 
**  are  in  the  same  state  as  I  am,  or  as  an  additional  testimony 
•'  to  those,  who  have  the  examination  of  Missionary-candidates. 

July  3.  S.M." 


(     216     ) 

But  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  we  are  met  by  wonderful 
utterances  of  Bishop  Taylor  of  the  "  Self-supporting  Mission," 
the  same  leader  of  Mission-bands,  who  counts  every  baby  as  an 
additional  Missionary.  **  He  is  a  very  hard  worker  on  his 
*'  Mission-farm,  and  is  probably  the  healthiest  Missionary  we 
**  have  on  the  West  Coast.  His  great  need  is  the  same  felt  so 
**  keenly  by  the  first  man,  when  '  no  helpmeet  was  found  for 
"  him.'  Every  good  Missionary-man  should  have  a  good  Mis- 
•*  sionary-wife  by  the  will  of  God.  Dear  fellow,  he  ought  to  have 
*'  a  good  Missionary-wife.  If  I  had  such  a  steward  as  Abraham 
**  had,  I  would  send  him  to  Mesopotamia  to  find  Rebekahs  for 
"  my  faithful  Isaacs,  who  need  young  women  of  God,  who  are 
**  on  the  self-supporting  line,  and  ready  to  run  and  draw  water 
*'  for  the  camels.  Most  of  my  Missionary  young  ladies  are  so 
*'  united  to  Jesus,  and  so  absorbed  in  His  soul-saving  work,  that 
*'  they  prefer  to  take  the  sole  charge  of  Mission-Stations.  They 
**  are  God's  heroines,  and  we  hold  them  in  highest  esteem,  and 
*'  afford  them  every  facility  we  can  to  work  on  the  line  of  their 
**  own  preferences  and  convictions." 

Ill-judging  fanatical  enthusiasts  have  at  all  periods  of  Church- 
history  made  themselves  ridiculous.  Tertullian  mentions,  that 
the  Marcionist  admitted  no  married  person  even  to  Baptism, 
unless  he  divorced  his  wife  ;  and  in  the  early  Church  the  Marriage 
of  Bishops,  Priests,  and  Deacons,  was  forbidden,  and  those,  who 
were  married  before  Ordination,  were  compelled  to  separate. 
It  is  an  equal  departure  from  common-sense,  and  a  just  view  of 
human  affairs,  to  encourage  Matrimony  as  a  necessity,  or  to 
forbid  it  as  a  sin.  It  is  clear,  that  in  the  early  days  of  a 
Missionary's  career  in  a  foreign  country  it  is  an  impediment, 
a  weakening  of  strength  required  in  the  Lord's  service,  and,  when 
the  Missionary  lives  on  the  alms  of  the  Churches,  an  unjustifiable 
extravagance,  or  even  worse,  a  misapplication  of  consecrated 
funds.  Every  additional  child,  which  a  Missionary  has,  is  an 
additional  burden  to  the  Treasury  of  the  Society,  and  a  large 
family  prevents  the  Committees  from  sending  out  an  additional 
Missionary  to  the  same  Field. 

A  serious  aspect  of  this  great  evil  is  the  financial  one.  In  the 
Report  of  the  Church-Missionary-Society  for  the  year  1889  I 
find  hundreds  of  children  of  Missionaries  clothed,  fed,  and 
educated,  for  secular  occupation,  at  the  cost  of  thousands  of 
pounds,  collected  under  the  influence  of  prayer  for  the  purpose 
of  converting  the  Heathen  :  additional  hundreds  might  be  con- 
verted by  the  expansion  of  our  Missions,  if  our  funds  were  not 
absorbed,  wasted,  misapplied,  in  the  support  of  children,  who 
ought  never  to  have  come  into  existence.  Many  of  these 
children  are  the  grandchildren  of,  or  connected  with,  well-to-do 
people,  India,  or  Ceylon,  Pensioners  :  we  meet  the  children  smart 


(     217     ) 

and  well-dressed :  and  it  is  painful  to  think,  that  the  pennies 
collected  in  Missionary-boxes  from  little  poor  children  in 
hundreds  of  Churches  are  thus  devoted. 

A  Romish  layman,  Sir  C.  Clifford,  writes  thus:  "The  reason, 
**  why  the  Romish  Missionary  has  so  great  an  advantage  over 
**  the  Protestant  Missionary,  of  course,  will  strike  everyone. 
"  The  Protestant  Missionary  has  a  double  duty  to  perform. 
"  They  will  all  tell  you,  that  it  is  necessary  for  the  proper 
**  carrying  out  of  their  Mission,  that  they  should  have  wives. 
*'  The  natural  consequence  of  that  is,  that  they  have  families. 
*'  They  cannot,  therefore,  go  and  stand  the  brunt  of  the  pitiless 
**  storm.  They  cannot  go,  as  I  have  seen  Romish  Missionaries 
**  do,  and  stand  between  two  sets  of  savages  in  the  act  of 
"  fighting.  They  have  to  think  of  the  little  ones  at  home.  They 
**  have  to  think,  moreover,  how,  when  those  little  ones  grow  up, 
**  they  shall  be  supported.  The  consequence  is,  that,  with  the 
"  best  intentions  in  the  world  on  their  part,  the  savages,  among 
"  whom  they  dwell,  see  that  they  are  collecting  property  about 
**  them,  that  they  are  dealing  in  land,  that  the  spiritual  welfare 
**  of  the  people,  although  it  is  one  great  object  with  them, 
**  is  not  their  sole  object.  Until  you  send  from  England  men, 
"  whose  sole  object  is  the  Spiritual  Welfare  of  those,  among 
**  whom  they  dwell,  you  will  not  have  performed  the  duty,  which 
**  you  owe  to  those  countries,  that  are  enabling  you  to  be  a 
"  great  Nation." 

A  thoughtful  critic  cannot  but  agree  with  this  stricture :  the 
first,  last,  sole,  object  of  a  Missionary-Society  is  to  bring  souls  to 
God,  and  this  cannot  be  done,  if  the  Agents  employed  live  in 
comfortable  homes,  and  send  home  half-a-dozen  boys  and  girls 
to  intercept  the  alms  of  the  Church :  they  had  better  not  have 
been  born.  Shades  of  Columba,  Columbanus,  Aidan,  Willibrod, 
Boniface,  and  Gall,  the  early  Missionaries  of  the  British  and 
Anglo-Saxon  race,  who  gave  up  all  things  for  Christ,  and 
suffered  hardship  like  good  soldiers,  who  had  not  the  advan- 
tages and  comforts  of  the  Nineteenth  Century,  and,  in  the  case 
of  Boniface,  died  a  blessed  Martyr,  what  would  they  have 
thought  of  degenerate  English  Christians,  spending  a  few  years 
in  a  foreign  land,  making  a  great  pretence  of  consecration,  and 
sacrifice,  and  devotion,  more  in  words  than  deeds,  and  then  for 
their  own  convenience,  or  because  a  wife,  or  one  of  their 
numerous  children,  are  sick,  leave  the  field,  the  flock,  the  labours 
blessed  by  God,  and  go  home,  and  hide  themselves  in  some 
obscure  parsonage.  And  yet  the  words  of  the  Lord  are  very 
clear,  and  good  Bishop  Steere  drew  attention  to  them  :  *'  He, 
**  that  loveth  Father  or  Mother  more  than  Me,  is  not  worthy  of 
*'  Me."  "No  man,  having  put  his  hand  to  the  plough,  and 
"  looking  back,  is  fit  for  the  Kingdom  of  God." 


(     218     ) 

It  may  seem  harsh,  but  it  is  necessary  to  speak  out :  Bishop 
Caldwell,  and  Bishop  Sargent,  and  John  Newton  of  Lahore,  have 
set  the  great  example  of  continuous  service  even  to  old  age, 
even  to  the  grave  :  The  late  Bishop  of  Nova  Scotia,  in  the  Do- 
minion of  Canada,  at  a  meeting  in  St.  James's  Hall,  in  my  hearing 
said:  "God  deal  with  me  so,  and  more  also,  if  I  do  not  die 
amidst  my  people."  The  Missionaries  of  Rome  have  set  the 
example :  why  cannot  English  Colonial  Bishops  and  Missionaries 
act  in  the  same  way  ?  The  old  Missionaries  from  these  Islands 
of  our  own  race  went  out  in  celibacy,  in  poverty,  in  suffering,  to 
work  with  their  hands  to  sustain  life,  with  no  hope  to  see 
England  again.  Some  portion  of  the  grace  of  these  great 
Apostles  has  clung  to  the  modern  Religious  Orders  of  Rome:  the 
Protestant  Missionary  has  fallen  from  the  ideal :  he  must  have  a 
wife  at  puberty,  and  a  family  supported  by  the  alms  of  the 
Churches :  he  must  have  salaries,  houses,  comforts,  conveyances: 
he  is  educated  at  the  expense  of  the  Society,  but  throws  up  his 
Vocation  whenever  it  suits  him.  An  English  Peer,  well-known 
in  religious  circles,  openly  stated  on  his  return  from  India,  that 
the  most  comfortable  houses  were  those  of  the  Missionaries  : 
we  have  all  heard  of  the  controversy  among  the  Missionaries  of 
the  Wesleyan-Society  on  this  very  subject. 

I  quote  the  following  from  a  printed  article  :  **  What  is  it  that 
**  floods  the  Mission-Field  with  men,  who  have  no  pretence  to 
"  the  Missionary-spirit  ?  The  prospect  of  salaries,  and  houses, 
**  and  wives,  and  children,  and  comforts.  I  have  seen  Mis- 
"  sionaries  abroad  living  in  a  style  far  superior  to  that  to  which, 
**  from  their  evident  social  status,  they  could  have  been  accus- 
**  tomed  at  home.  I  am  firmly  convinced,  and  my  conviction  is 
*'  founded  on  actual  experience,  that  the  Mission,  which  offers 
"  least  to  its  Agents,  and  spends  least  on  them,  gets  the  best 
**  men,  the  educated,  the  pious,  the  devoted.  Happy,  in  my 
**  judgment,  is  that  Mission,  which  is  in  a  position  to  say  :  '  We 
**  want  a  new  labour  jr  in  this  corner  of  the  Lord's  vineyard  :  we 
**  offer  you  nothing ;  will  you  come,  dear  friend,  in  poverty,  in 
•*  celibacy,  in  self-surrender ;  for  the  love  of  God  and  His 
"  Church  ? '  Through  this  net  the  little  fishes  will  escape,  the 
*'  great  ones  will  remain." 

Let  us  consider  the  Children's  Home,  lately  erected  by  the 
Church-Missionary-Society :  a  letter  from  one  of  the  Secretaries 
lies  on  my  table,  stating,  **that  he  repeatedly  and  consistently 
**  protested  against  it ;  that  he  implored  those,  who  pressed  on 
"the  measure,  to  stay  their  hand":  he  calls  it  a  scandal. 
One  of  the  Vice-Presidents  suggested  to  me,  that  we  should  sell 
the  building  as  soon  as  we  could :  it  is  justly  described  as  a 
great  scandal.  Money  collected  to  convert  the  Heathen  is 
squandered  on  maintaining  children,  chiefly  the  result  of  early, 


(     219     ) 

improvident,  and  thoughtless,  marriages.  If  these  children,  or  at 
least  a  large  portion,  became  Missionaries,  there  would  be  some 
reason  in  trying  to  secure  a  constant  supply  of  trained  Agents, 
but  the  maintenance  ends  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  Many  of  the 
families  brought  up  there  belong  to  a  lower  stratum  of  social  life, 
and  are  thus  educated  above  their  natural  position  :  Missionaries, 
who  come  from  the  Universities,  decline  to  send  their  children, 
and  try  to  get  separate  allowances  paid  for  home-training. 
Every  child  born  to  a  Church-Missionary-Society-Missionary 
receives  a  stipend,  so  from  that  point  of  view  Bishop  Taylor's 
assertion,  that  every  baby  is  part  of  the  Missionary-staff,  is 
true :  as  these  allowances  are  distributed  over  the  whole  Field 
it  takes  some  time  and  care  to  find  out  the  total  cost  of  the 
Nursery,  and  School- Room,  of  the  Church-Missionary-Society, 
but  it  seems  to  reach  /^  10,000  per  annum.  In  another  Mis- 
sionary-Society I  find  a  scheme  to  start  a  school  for  the  children 
of  the  Missionaries  in  China  at  Chefu  :  there  appear  to  be 
about  172  already:  as  time  goes  on  this  number  must  be  in- 
creased. This  Society  admits,  that  '*  the  expense  of  Home- 
"  Education  in  a  Mission  like  theirs,  where  a  small  income  has 
"  to  cover  a  large  work,  would  be  a  serious  difficulty :  the  mere 
**  passage-money  to  get  the  children  from  China  to  England 
"would  be ^"2,460,  and  the  expense  of  bringing  them  up  in 
*'  England  would  be  heavy."  The  Church-Missionary-Society 
has  no  such  scruples,  and  does  not  spare  its  rich  constituency, 
or  rather  diverts  sums,  intended  for  Evangelization,  to  the  main- 
tenance of  the  children  of  the  Agents  employed  in  Evangelization. 
The  Chefu-scheme  is  fraught  with  peril :  a  class  of  "  Creole  " 
Europeans  and  Americans  will  be  brought  up  in  China  with 
all  the  arrogance  of  the  white  man,  without  the  counteracting 
influence  of  English  and  American  Society.  The  Sandwich 
Islands  are  stated  to  be  overrun  with  the  progeny  of  the  first 
American  Missionaries,  whose  families  settled  in  the  Islands  : 
even  the  Queen  herself  is  stated  to  be  descended  from  a 
Missionary. 

What  is  the  alternative  ? 

Under  different  names  the  two  Sections  of  the  Church  of 
England  have  adopted,  or  proposed  to  adopt,  the  same  remedy : 

(a)  Missionary-Brotherhoods  and  Sisterhoods. 
{5}  Bands  of  Associated  Evangelists. 

No  pretence  is  made,  that  Celibacy  in  itself  has  any  merit :  it  is 
merely  a  question  of  economy,  and  good  administration  for 
about  ten  years  after  entering  the  Field :  if  the  heart  of  the 
Brother,  or  Associate,  fails,  he  can  withdraw,  and  fall  to  the 
lower  level.     No  attempt  is  made  to  limit  the  age,  at  which  a 


(     220     ) 

Sister  should  be  allowed  to  leave  her  Sisterhood  :  this  matter 
is  too  high  for  me  to  enter  into,  but  she  has  some  form  of  con- 
tract with  those,  who  sent  her  into  the  Field,  and  she  should 
carefully  read  I  Corinthians,  chap.  vii.  I  was  much  exercised 
on  this  subject,  and  went  over  to  Herrnhut,  in  Saxony,  to  talk 
it  out  with  the  Moravians  :  when  a  helpmate  is  required  for  a 
Moravian  Missionary,  she  is  chosen  by  the  Church,  in  all  ways 
suitable  to  the  one  object  in  view.  I  had  a  long  talk  with  Frau 
Jaeskhe,  the  widow  of  a  Missionary  in  N.  India:  I  asked,  whether 
she  regretted  her  choice  of  the  Mission-Field,  and  could  have 
wished  to  have  chosen  her  helpmate  for  herself:  she  replied, 
that  all  had  been  ordered  well :  the  Lord  had  chosen  the  best 
of  men  for  her:  she  had  laboured  in  the  vineyard  with  him, 
while  he  lived,  and  treasured  his  memory  after  his  departure. 
I  read  in  a  Report  of  the  London-Missionary-Society  of  a 
Missionary  pleading  for  the  appointment  of  three  or  four 
unmarried  colleagues,  who  will  be  prepared  to  endure  hardship 
as  a  Soldier  of  Christ.  This  reveals  the  fact,  that  the  evils  of 
early  and  thoughtless  marriages  is  being  felt,  and  that  the 
Missionary-fibre  requires  strengthening. 

I  ask  no  more  than  that,  which  was  demanded  from  the  Fellows 
of  Colleges  in  former  years,  that  for  a  stipulated  term  of  years, 
say  ten,  from  the  date  of  their  Ordination  they  should  not  marry. 
After  the  age  of  thirty-three  they  should  be  free  to  do  as  they 
wish.  I  wish  to  impress  upon  the  young  Missionary,  that  in 
undertaking  family-cares  in  extreme  youth  he  is  doing  what  is 
manifestly  wrong,  and  unworthy  of  his  high  calling.  Nobody 
forced  him  to  come  out  of  the  ranks  of  his  relatives,  and  the 
stratum  of  life,  in  which  God  had  placed  him  at  his  birth,  respect- 
able but  humble,  for  the  purpose  of  undertaking  the  glorious 
profession  of  preaching  the  Gospel,  and  doing  something  for 
his  Lord,  who  had  done  so  much  for  him :  he  chose  it,  or  in 
many  cases  the  Lord  unmistakably  chose  him  :  in  the  presence 
of  his  fellows  he  avowed,  that  he  had  been  called  to  the  work, 
that  he  had  given  his  whole  heart  to  his  Vocation.  Now  the 
work  requires  self-consecration,  self-denial,  an  entire  crucifying 
of  the  carnal  man,  a  readiness  to  go  where  he  is  ordered,  to  live 
out  in  tents  or  huts,  to  bear  hardship  like  a  good  soldier,  to 
spend  and  be  spent,  to  be  content  with  a  little  ;  to  set  an 
example  to  native  acquaintances,  native  converts,  and  native 
catechists,  and  Pastors,  of  the  great  and  inestimable  gift  of 
Self-Sacrifice  ;  dwelling  in  their  midst,  sometimes  wearing  their 
dress,  sharing  their  simple  joys  and  simple  fare  with  them  on 
the  road,  on  the  river,  in  the  hut,  in  the  tent ;  speaking  their 
language  as  one  of  them,  and  being  all  things  to  them. 

It  is  true,  that  the  young  Soldier,  the  young  IMagistrate,  and 
the  young  Merchant,  by  the  necessity  of  their  position,  keep 


(     221     ) 

clear  of  family-entanglements,  and  give  their  hearts  to  the 
service  of  their  earthly  employer,  with  a  view  to  get  themselves 
forward  in  the  world,  to  put  by  economies  for  middle  life,  and 
declining  years.  They  would  deem  it  madness  to  encumber 
themselves  with  a  family,  until  they  see  a  way  to  support  them ; 
is  the  Missionary  to  fall  to  a  lower  level,  not  only  to  cramp  his 
means  of  usefulness,  and  his  power  to  discharge  his  duties,  but 
to  be  a  burden  to  the  great  Society,  that  sends  him  out  ? 

Sir  W.  Hunter  remarks  that  **  without  some  show  of  self- 
"  sacrifice,  the  Hindu  will  not  believe  in  the  sincerity  of  the 
**  Messenger,  or  the  truth  of  the  Message.  A  man  with  a  wife 
"  and  half-a  dozen  children  may  be  a  pleasant  sight  in  an 
*'  English  parsonage,  but  it  is  a  standing  absurdity  in  a  Heathen 
*'  Mission-Home." 

I  myself  spent  ten  years  entirely  alone,  or  with  one  or  two 
celibate  companions,  in  the  midst  of  the  people,  over  whose 
secular  interests  I  had  to  watch.  I  remember,  how  greatly  the  work 
was  advanced  by  entire  freedom  from  family  and  social  duties 
and  cares,  how  subjects  of  doubt  could  be  discussed  earnestly 
and  thoroughly,  how  before  dawn  I  was  in  the  saddle  surrounded 
by  Natives,  who  came  to  accompany  me,  how  my  heart  went 
out  to  them,  because  they  were  the  sole  objects  of  my  interest ; 
if  such  were  the  case  in  community-life  or  solitary  life,  while 
employed  on  earthly  business,  how  much  more,  when  the  heart 
is  given  to  spiritual  business  by  spiritually-minded  men  ! 

It  remains  now  for  all  Missionary-Societies  to  refuse  absolutely 
to  permit  the  marriage  of  Missionaries  before  they  have  served 
ten  years,  or  at  least  attained  the  age  of  33.  .  .  .  A  man  is 
much  more  likely  to  make  a  good  choice  of  a  helpmeet,  when  he 
knows  the  work,  which  he  requires  help  in,  than  if  m  statu 
pupillari  at  the  Missionary-College  he  asks  the  little  girl,  whom 
he  has  met  in  the  Sunday-school,  or  the  young  person  in  the 
shop  adjoining  that  of  his  father,  to  go  with  him.  In  the  first 
decade  of  Missionary-life  sisters  and  brothers  are  more  useful 
than  husbands  and  wives.  ...  If  men  are  really  called  to  God's 
special  service  in  foreign  parts,  they  must  just  make  a  sacrifice 
of  their  lives  and  comforts.  A  conscript  soldier  has  to  put  off 
his  marriage  until  his  term  of  service  is  over.  It  is  idle  to  talk 
of  sacrifice,  when  a  Missionary  marries  at  the  expense  of  a 
Missionary-Society  ten  years  earlier  than  his  brother  in  some 
trade  or  profession  at  home  can  afford  to  do.  Even  down  to 
the  day  I  write  this.  College  students  do  not  hesitate  to  engage 
themselves.  In  fact  many  of  the  Clergy,  and  some  clerical 
members  of  the  Committee,  lay  themselves  out  to  secure 
Missionaries  as  husbands  to  their  daughters,  as  there  is  a 
certain  provision  for  the  widows  and  children :  I  could  name 
one  Member  of  the  Committee,  who  has  three  or  four  Missionary- 
sons-in-law.     There  is  another  aspect  of  the  case :  it  pays. 


(     222     ) 

Here  is  the  latest  effusion  of  the  managers  of  the  Missionary- 
Matrimonial-Office  :  Many  years  must  pass  before  U-Ganda 
settles  down  to  quietness :  the  British  Government  refuses  to 
occupy  the  country :  only  a  Protectorate  is  talked  about,  and  no 
British  troops :  it  is  800  miles  from  the  sea,  under  the  Equator, 
and  yet  here  is  the  call  to  brave  women  to  throw  away  their 
lives  uselessly:  "And  not  Clergymen  only,  nor  men  only.  It 
*'  is  Bishop  Tucker's  distinct  opinion,  that,  assuming  that  the 
**  country  will  now  be  reasonably  safe,  we  must  no  longer  delay 
"  to  send  up  Christian  women.  There  are,  he  believes,  and  we 
**  believe,  strong  and  vigorous  women,  who  need  not  wait  for 
**  the  future  railway,  but  could  take  the  journey  now.  But  they 
"  must  not  be  young  wives.  In  the  present  circumstances  of 
"  Africa,  women  must  be  ready,  as  so  many  men  have  been  ready, 
•*  to  go  with  the  distinct  and  solemn  purpose  of  remaining 
*'  single  for  a  few  years  for  the  Lord's  sake.  The  time  is  not 
"  distant,  when  the  beauty  of  English  family  life  may  be  exhibited 
*'  in  U-Ganda  ;  but  the  time  is  not  yet,  and  meanwhile  we  look 
"  for  a  bright  example  of  self-sacrifice  and  absolute  separateness 
**  to  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  to  be  manifested  by  the  represen- 
"  tatives,  both  men  and  women,  of  our  Protestant  Church  of 
"  England." 

9.  Arrogant  to  the  Natives. 

There  is  no  reason,  to  suppose,  that  Paul  and  his  companions 
lorded  it  over  the  Heathen ;  quite  the  contrary.  The  humble 
Evangelists  of  the  time  of  Augustine,  and  Columba,  and 
Boniface,  did  not  do  so.  The  Nestorians,  and  Moravians,  did 
not  do  so.  Why  should  the  Anglo-Saxon  Missionaries  of  this 
Century  assert  such  an  intolerable  superiority  over  those,  whom 
they  go  to  convert  7  The  holiest  Missionary  is  the  humblest : 
he  works  through  others,  not  thinking  of  self,  his  own  station  in 
his  native  country,  his  acquired  knowledge,  his  natural  ability, 
his  station  in  his  Church,  but  of  the  Lord's  work.  He  cries : 
**  Let  the  work  be  done,  even  if  I  am  driven  out,  effaced,  over- 
looked, despised." 

That  pride  of  race,  which  prompts  a  white  man  to  regard 
coloured  people  as  inferior  to  himself,  is  strongly  ingrained  in 
most  men's  minds,  and  must  be  wholly  eradicated  by  the  Grace 
of  God,  before  he  will  ever  win  the  hearts  and  souls  of  the 
Heathen.  Nothing  is  more  depressing  in  the  Reports  of  Mis- 
sionary-Societies than  this  feature.  Every  Missionary  would  be 
better  for  a  copy  of  Thomas  A  Kempis'  "  Imitation  of  Christ," 
as  his  constant  companion.  And  let  the  Home-Committee 
avoid  being  puffed  up,  as  if  it  had  done  something  wonderful, 
as  if  its  counsels  had  secured  the  measure  of  success,  which  had 
come  to  them  from  the  Lord  only.     Above  all,  let  care  be  taken 


(     223     ) 

never  to  talk  of  a  man  as  a  Hero,  when  living,  or  a  Saint,  when 
dead  :  he  did  his  best :  others  will  do  the  same  :  his  place  will 
soon  be  filled  up  :  the  ranks  of  the  Lord's  Army  are  always  full. 
Hear  the  advice  of  a  dead  Missionary,  a  faithful  servant  of 
God,  from  whose  life  I  extract  it : 

1.  Of  all  qualifications   for   Mission-work,   Charity   is   most 

excellent. 

2.  Of  all  Methods,  the  only  safe'and  sure  one  is  to  purge  the 

heart  of  Vain-glory,  Worldliness,  and  Selfishness. 

3.  Of  all  plans  to  insure  success,  the  most  certain  is  Christ's 

own  ;  and  becoming  a  corn  of  wheat  falling  into  the 
ground,  and  dying. 

The  last  is  in  the  hands  of  God,  but  as  to  the  first  two,  I  can 
only  add,  Oh  !  that  ye  were  wise,  that  ye  understood  this  ? 

Hear  Dr.  Ellinwood,  "  Oriental  Religion  and  Christianity," 
1892  :  "  The  adaptation  of  preachers  to  hearers  in  non-Christian 
"  lands  is  a  task,  that  may  well  make  us  thankful  for  every  help. 
**  The  Missionary  is  far  too  apt  to  come  from  the  West  with 
**  exalted  notions  of  his  own  superiority,  and  with  a  feeling  of 
•*  condescending  pity  for  men,  who  have  pondered  the  deep 
**  things  of  the  Universe  far  more  than  he  has.  The  weakness 
**  of  Christian  Churches  is  in  the  temptation  to  arrogance,  and 
"  an  abuse  of  superior  power,  and  an  overbearing  spirit." 

The  European  Missionary  should  from  the  beginning  work 
with  the  steady  policy  of  effacing  himself,  at  as  early  a  date  as 
possible,  and  placing  the  Native  Ministry  in  power.  All  buildings 
should  be  erected  with  that  view ;  the  European  should  act  the 
part  of  a  temporary  visitor,  with  no  intention  of  staying,  or 
being  a  burden  to  his  flock,  or  his  Church  at  Home.  He  must 
not  keep  his  flock  in  helpless  pupilage,  and  treat  them  as  mere 
children.  They  are  wiser  than  him  in  many  things.  At  any 
rate  they  represent  the  public  feeling  of  their  own  people. 
They  must  be  reminded  from  the  first,  that  they  are  responsible. 
It  may  be  a  trial  to  an  orderly  mind  to  see  work  less  well  done 
according  to  red-tape,  or  rubrics ;  yet  one,  who  loves  the  object, 
will  look  over  the  defects  of  the  work  in  the  present  generation, 
in  the  anticipation  of  perfection  in  the  next.  Remember  that 
the  Syrian  Church  in  India,  the  Koptic  in  Egypt,  the  Armenian, 
Syrian,  Nestorian,  and  Greek  in  West  Asia,  have  managed  on  a 
purely  native  basis  to  outlive  oppression,  and  ignorance. 

Mr.  George  Curzon,  in  the  National  Review,  1893,  remarks, 
that :  "  Without  hostility  to  the  Missionaries  it  is  impossible  to 
**  ignore  the  fact,  that  English  Missions  are  a  source  of  political 
"  unrest,  and  frequently  of  international  trouble,  subversive  of 
*'  the  National  institutions  of  the  country  in  which  they  reside, 


(     224     ) 

**  because,  while  inculcating  the  Christian  virtue  of  self-respect, 
"  they  destroy  the  respect  for  others,  which  is  the  foundation  of 
**  Civil-Society."  I  may  add,  that,  if  this  shaking  of  dead  bones 
arose  from  the  stirring  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  I  should 
rejoice,  but  the  Missionary  is  accompanied  by  a  vaunting 
assertion  of  the  irresistible  power  of  the  different  European 
Nations,  whose  object  is  commercial,  or  political :  there  can  be 
no  blessing  on  the  work  of  Missionaries,  while  it  is  mixed  up 
with  Treaties,  Annexations,  slaying  of  poor  Natives  in  Africa, 
Liquor-Traffic,  etc.  M.  Michie,  in  his  late  work,  *'  Mission- 
aries in  China,"  expresses  sentiments  not  wholly  to  be 
despised :  he  divides  the  Missionaries  into  two  categories  ; 
**  (i)  men  of  large  views,  discrimination,  and  tolerance; 
**  (2)  a  jumble  of  half-witted  enthusiasts,  whose  arrogance 
*'  towards  native  officials,  and  intolerance  towards  everything 
"  outside  their  narrow  horizon,  may  have  been,  and  may  be  in 
"future  time,  the  cause  of  trouble:  they  claim  tolerance  for 
"  themselves,  but  deny  it  to  the  morals,  customs,  and  religious 
"  views,  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  great  Kingdom ;  they  are 
*'  quite  confident,  that  they  are  themselves  always  right,  and, 
"  what  is  so  often  remarked  by  others  of  Missionaries,  they 
"  take  credit  for  a  perfect  familiarity  with  the  purposes  of  the 
"Almighty;  their  incapacity  to  understand  the  people,  and 
"  their  arrogant  bearing,  is  too  often  the  direct  cause  of  the  ill- 
'*  feeling  they  excite  in  China  with  sad  deplorable  results." 
If  Mahometan,  or  Mormon,  Missionaries  were  to  behave  in  the 
same  manner  in  London,  speak  lightly  of  the  name  of  our  Lord, 
and  offend  the  religious  prejudices  of  a  people,  who  at  least 
profess  Christianity,  they  would  have  but  a  short  shrieve  in  spite 
of  our  constitutional  tolerance. 

In  the  Indian  Manual  already  quoted  I  find  the  following: 
**  A  loving  manner  has  influence  on  the  people  of  India.  Vulgar 
"  Europeans  often  treat  the  Natives,  men  of  high  rank  and 
"  noble  demeanour,  as  if  they  were  dust  under  their  shoes  : 
"  the  same  disposition  is  sometimes  manifested  by  those,  from 
"  whom  better  things  might  be  expected.  The  Hindu  should 
"  not  be  treated  with  contempt:  the  Hindu  mind  differs  from 
"  ours,  but  will  be  despised  only  by  the  ignorant  man." 

And  there  is  an  arrogant  way  of  presenting  the  Gospel  of 
Christ.  I  quote  from  the  Calcutta  Review,  January  1876:  "Dr. 
"  Wilson  of  Bombay  writes  :  *  God  is  Father  of  all  mankind,  and 
"  no  God  gives  opposite  laws  for  the  government  of  his  children  : 
"  there  can  be  but  one  Religion,  as  there  is  but  one  Sun:  the 
"  Hindu  Religion  is  to  those,  who  embrace  it,  the  road  to  Death 
"  and  everlasting  destruction  :  this  may  seem  hard,  but  it  is  the 
"  Doctrine  of  all  Reformed  Churches.'  This  mode  of  repre- 
"  senting   Christianity  may  be   taken   as  a  type  of  what  was 


(     225     ) 

**  common,  and  thus  represents  the  popular  notion,  which 
'•  Hindus  have  of  Christianity,  viz.,  that  the  vast  majority  of 
"  mankind  is  condemned  to  absolute  destruction  by  one,  who  is 
"  their  Father :  they  never  had  the  remotest  opportunity  of 
"  being  Christians,  and  yet  they  are  condemned.  It  is  not 
**  acceptable  to  the  Hindu  to  accept  a  Faith,  which  condemns 
**  all  past  generations  to  a  destruction,  which  they  could  not 
"  avoid.  They  would  rather,  that  the  Churches'  Faith  be  false, 
**  than  that  the  common  Father  would  act  so  partially." 

Dr.  Duff,  in  his  work  on  Indian  Missions,  writes :  **  The  truth 
"  of  Christianity  has  been  over  and  over  again  demonstrated 
'*  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands, 
'*  of  the  most  rationable  and  enlightened  men  that  ever  lived, 
"  and  must  be  admitted  as  true.  Every  other  Religious  System 
**  is  erroneous,  dishonourable  to  God,  and  destructive  to  the 
"  happiness  of  man.  It  is  denied,  that  any  National  right  exists 
*'  to  parents  to  teach  and  perpetuate  a  system  of  falsehood  and 
"  delusion,  so  loathsome  and  deadly  as  Hinduism. 

"  The  first  word,  with  which  the  Missionaries  used  to 
"  commence  was  Damnation  :  their  Gods  were  false  ;  their 
"  rites  were  odious.  These  were  the  opening  messages  of  the 
"  Gospel,  which  the  Missionaries  used  to  proclaim  in  the  life- 
**  time  of  many  still  alive. 

"  No  one  but  a  very  arrogant,  narrow-minded,  intolerant,  man 
"  can  look  a  Hindu  honestly  in  the  face,  and  say,  that  their  fore- 
"  fathers,  left  in  ignorance  by  the  Providence  of  God,  are 
*'  hopelessly  condemned  by  a  loving  Father." 

I  myself,  fifty  years  ago,  heard  an  American  Presbyterian 
Missionary  in  an  Indian  Bazaar  tell  his  audience,  that  their  god 
was  Cow-dung;  he  meant  it  as  an  insult ;  as  a  fact  they  saw  no 
offence  in  it,  as  the  Cow,  and  all  connected  with  it,  are  sacred  to 
them. 

When  the  young  Missionary  arrogantly  thinks,  that  he  must 
be  in  the  right  (as  we  humbly  hope  that  he  is),  and  that  the 
poor  Heathen  are  wilfully  deaf  to  his  call,  let  him  reflect,  that 
the  existence  of  so  many  Jews  in  our  midst  proves,  that  the 
Christian  doctrines  are  not  self-convincing,  and  try  to  find 
a  solution,  why  He,  who  willeth  all  mankind  to  be  saved,  has 
allowed  i8  Centuries  to  elapse  without  giving  many  of  them  a 
chance.  The  arrogant  denial  of  all  good  in  the  poor  Heathen, 
the  one-sidedness  of  the  Reports,  which  they  send  home,  the 
tirades  against  Native  Customs,  the  jeers  against  their  religious 
rites,  the  want  of  pity  to  the  poor  lost  sheep,  show  the  existence 
in  the  Missionary  of  the  same  "  unredeemed  man,"  who  Centuries 
earlier  would  have  developed  into  a  Persecutor.  The  Conversion 
of  Europe  reads  as  a  frightful  nightmare  compared  with  the 
quiet,    gentle,    peaceful,   loving   conversion   of  the    people   of 

15 


(     226     ) 

Oceania,  who  are  said  to  have  no  word  for  ''sword"  in  their 
language. 

Fifty  years  ago  I  knew  an  American  Presbyterian  Missionary 
in  the  Panjab  ;  he  lived  a  long  life  there.  I  saw  him  a  few  years 
ago  in  London;  he  has  died  since.  He  and  his  colleague,  Forman, 
were  among  the  meekest  of  men.  I  described  the  latter  in  a 
Poem  in  1861  as  "meek  as  Moses  and  eloquent  as  Paul"  ;  here 
is  the  character,  written  by  me  long  ago,  of  old  John  Newton : 
*'  For  twenty  years  I  was  an  official,  in  relation  with  him,  and 
*'  never  heard  a  complaint  from  his  lips  ;  but  I  marked  well 
"  his  consistent  Christian  walk :  there  are  many  others  of  his 
**  stamp,  and  I  wish  that  all  were  like  them  ;  but  a  great  deal 
**  depends  upon  the  character  of  the  Missionary,  the  local 
"  authority,  and  the  general  population.  There  must  be  light 
*'  and  shade  in  the  life  of  Missions,  as  in  the  life  of  man,  but  a 
"  spirit  of  conciliation,  a  practical  illustration  of  the  principles, 
**  that  are  preached,  a  determination  not  to  depart  from  the 
**  Law  of  Love,  and  Discipline  of  Patience,  except  under  extreme 
**  necessity,  will  work  its  way  at  last.  If  it  does  not,  let  us 
*'  remember  that,  in  all  cases,  it  will  be  better  to  abandon  the 
"  Mission,  at  least  for  a  time,  rather  than  to  alienate  the  hearts 
**  of  non-Christians,  make  Christianity  odious  in  their  eyes,  and 
**  the  Missionaries  a  disgrace  to  the  country,  which  sends  them 
**  out."  As  a  contrast  I  give  a  quotation  :  I  scarcely  like  to 
state  from  what  Report,  as  the  remark  is  so  odious. 

**  Our  very  first  preaching  was  opposed,  a  Brahmin  *  with  a 
wicked-looking  face'  being  in  the  front."  Have  Missionaries  or 
Christians  never  ugly  faces,  and  is  the  face  the  index  of  the 
soul  ?  Let  us  consider  the  bust  of  Socrates,  and  the  outward 
forms  of  many  of  our  most  advanced  Christians,  and  contrast 
with  the  above  the  fond  foolish  gush  of  the  following :  '*  In  spite 
**  of  the  persecutions  of  all  kinds,  which  converted  Chinese 
"  women  have  to  bear,  their  happiness  is  so  manifest  in  their 
**  faces,  that  you  can  pick  out  a  Christian,  when  you  meet  her  in 
**  the  street,  by  her  bright  expression." 

Hear  Seton  Churchill's  stirring  words :  *'  It  was  the  late 
**  Archbishop  Magee  who  once,  in  an  able  sermon,  preached  at 
**  the  request  of  the  Church-Missionary-Society,  pointed  out  the 
"  injury,  that  was  done  to  the  cause  of  Christ  by  Christian 
**  workers  doing  Christian  work  in  an  un-Christlike  manner ;  and 
**  it  was  the  late  Lord  Lawrence,  when  Viceroy  of  India,  who, 
"  after  the  Indian  Mutiny,  being  asked  by  the  officials  at  home 
*'  if  Missionary-work  had,  in  his  opinion,  done  anything  to  bring 
**  on  that  catastrophe,  replied  to  the  effect  that,  when  Christ's 
**  work  was  done  in  a  Christ-like  way  it  could  never  be  pro- 
**  ductive  of  anything  but  good.  But  what  a  suggestion  is 
**  conveyed  to  us  in  the  remarks  of  these  two  great  men  on  the 


(     227     ) 

**  way,  in  which  we  workers  do  this  work  !  How  often,  alas ! 
*'  we  have  to  confess  with  shame  and  sorrow,  that  in  our  work 
**  there  has  been  too  little  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  and  too  much 
"  of  the  spirit  of  self,  because  we  have  failed  to  realize  the 
'*  importance  of  maintaining  a  high  standard  of  spiritual  life, 
"  while  putting  forth  our  hands  to  His  work  !  " 

In  India  the  officials  all  support  the  Missionary  in  essentials, 
and  leave  him  uncontrolled,  and  as  a  rule,  neither  English,  nor 
American,  nor  German,  nor  French,  nor  Spanish,  nor  Dane, 
nor  Norwegian,  give  the  least  trouble.  In  China  it  is  reported, 
that  the  secular  laity  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  Missionary. 
In  the  New  Review  I  read  how  deep  the  hatred  of  the  Chinese 
is  to  the  foreigner,  and  that  Missionary-operations  are  the 
foundation  of  the  bad  feeling :  the  Chinese  regard  their  inter- 
ference as  impertinent,  and  only  to  be  tolerated,  as  long  as  they 
are  themselves  powerless  to  prevent  it,  since  they  are  over- 
bearing and  meddlesome :  how  could  a  proud  Nation  of  so 
many  Millions  tolerate  it  ?  a  little  Nation  like  England  with  its 
thirty  Millions  would  not  tolerate  Chinamen  acting  thus  in  our 
country :  that  is  the  real  point  at  issue. 


lo.  Deficient  in  Sympathy  and  Love  and  Feelings  of 
Justice  to  the  Natives. 

In  1880  I  presented  to  each  student  of  the  Church-Missionary- 
Society-College  copies  of  the  Report  of  the  International  Mis- 
sionary-Congress, with  the  following  Inscription,  which  explains 
my  meaning  in  this  Section  : 

On  the  occasion  of  his  entering  upon  his  Christian  warfare, 
May  God's  Holy  Spirit  guide  him  / 

(i)  To  feel  a  warm  sympathy  in  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel 
throughout  the  World,  not  only  in  his  own  particular  Field. 

(2)  To  recognise,  that  the  path  of  the   Missionary  is  one   of 

failures,  and  chastenings,  of  self-abnegation,  and  humility, 
sanctified  with  humble  prayer  and  renewed  efforts,  based 
upon  experience  as  well  as  Faith. 

(3)  To  know,  that  the  great  agent  for  Conversion  of  souls  is 

Love ;  that  the  Missionary  must  have  the  tender  pity,  as 
of  a  father,  for  the  Heathen  sitting  for  so  many  genera- 
tions in  darkness  ;  an  inexhaustible  patience  for  their 
waywardness  and  backslidings,  and  a  sympathizing  in- 
dulgence for  their  ancient  customs,  however  foolish  in 
his  eyes. 


(     228     ) 

I  have  observed  in  many  instances  the  entire  absence  of  this 
feeling.  A  Missionary  should  try  to  win  his  way  to  the  hearts 
of  the  people,  and  should  under  no  circumstances  invoke  the 
Arm  of  the  Flesh  for  the  protection  of  property,  or  accept  com- 
pensation for  property  lost.  He  will  find  it  more  profitable  in 
the  long  run  to  exhibit  the  patience,  and  charity,  and  unselfish- 
ness, which  will  disarm  his  antagonists.  If  his  life  be  endangered, 
he  must  save  it  by  timely  flight ;  if  imprisoned,  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  collective  intercession  will  be  made  for  him  in  such 
a  manner,  as  to  secure  his  liberation;  if  he  fall,  "  he  falls  a  blessed 
Martyr."  Such  deaths  are  great  victories :  they  convince  the 
doubting ;  they  stimulate  the  faint-hearted ;  they  astonish  the 
worldling.  Peradventure  for  a  good  man  some  would  even  dare 
to  die,  but  Christ  died  for  sinners,  and  Christians  are  ready  to 
die  for  Christ.  How  our  hearts  beat  high  to  think,  that  we  have 
known,  and  loved,  and  conversed  with,  and  had  letters  from, 
men,  destined  by  God's  Grace  to  die  for  Him ;  he  does  no  more 
than  numerous  examples  have  gloriously  sanctioned,  than  the 
Gospel  predicts,  and  than  hundreds  of  his  countrymen  have 
been  willing  to  do  in  every  part  of  the  World,  even  when  the 
prize  to  be  gained  was  but  an  earthly  one.  Persecutions  were 
not  unknown  in  the  early  days  of  Christianity,  and  yet  it 
triumphed  in  the  end.  It  is  idle  to  expect  the  Crown  without 
the  Cross.  There  are  many  sufferings  still  unsuffered,  many 
Crosses  not  yet  taken  up,  many  Crowns  still  to  be  won. 

I  quote  again  from  the  "  Missionary  Manual "  : 

"  The  Missionary  should  have  Love,  the  Love  of  compassion, 
"  for  the  people;  the  Love  of  Jesus,  who  wept  over  Jerusalem; 
**  the  Love  of  Paul,  who  could  wish  himself  accursed  for 
"  Christ,  and  for  his  brethren.  Credit  should  be  given  to  the 
"  people  for  their  good  qualities,  and  the  Missionary,  remember- 
"  ing  his  own  sins  against  Light  and  Love,  should  make  allow- 
"  ance  for  those,  who  from  their  birth  have  been  exposed  to 
"  so  much  evil  influence." 

I  am  sorry,  that  a  Missionary  should  use  such  words  as  those 
now  quoted  :  he  had  no  experience,  and  did  great  mischief 
during  his  short  life  : 

"  If  we  have  formed  our  estimate  of  the  African  from  the 
'*  descriptions  sometimes  heard  at  Missionary-Meetings,  we 
*'  shall  be  inclined  to  take  the  other  extreme,  and  maintain,  as 
*'  Missionaries  may  sometimes  be  heard  doing,  that  the  native 
"  is  a  better  man  on  the  whole  than  the  white  man.  In  so 
"  doing  we  put  our  Mission  on  a  wrong  footing,  for  our  hearers 
"  know  very  well,  that  the  immense  majority  of  natives,  with 
'*  whom  they  come  in  contact,  are  untruthful  to  a  degree, 
"  grasping,  and  immoral,  and  often  cruel  and  ungrateful  as 
*'  well ;  and  any  expressions  of  sympathy  with  the  native,  which 


(     229     ) 

**  we  may  base  on  contrary  suppositions,  only  confirm  their  view, 
*'  that  we  do  not  know  what  we  are  about." 

How  much  wiser  is  the  following  extract ! 

"  The  variety  of  temper,  temperament,  thought,  sentiment, 
"  among  the  races  of  mankind,  is  far  greater  than  is  usually 
"  supposed ;  and,  in  addition  to  these  distinctions,  the  moral 
"  and  social  state  of  almost  all  non-Christian  races  is  very  low, 
*'  their  distrust  excessive,  and  their  methods  of  observation  and 
"  judgment  very  different  from  our  own.  Of  all  this  young 
*'  Missionaries  are  usually  profoundly  ignorant,  and  therefore 
*'  enter  on  the  important  and  difficult  task  of  converting  those, 
"  whom  they  do  not  understand,  to  whom  they  are  prejudicial 
"  and  contemptuous,  and  whom  they  do  not  know  how  to 
"  approach  in  a  suitable  manner.  Preparation  in  these  direc- 
*'  tions  may  save  a  young  Missionary  from  grave  mistakes, 
**  perhaps  from  a  bearing,  which  is  most  injurious." 

Even  the  use  of  such  words  as  "devil-Priests"  shows  a  want 
of  human  kindness:  the  Missionaries  in  China  do  not  like  being 
called  "  foreign  devils."  Certain  Religious  Conceptions  are 
defined  as  "Animistic,"  the  worship  of  "Spirits."  Socrates 
used  to  say  that  he  had  a  "  Satjuivv  "  ;  he  would  be  a  poor  trans- 
lator, who  wrote,  that  Socrates  had  a  "  Devil." 

Hear  what  Professor  Wilson  of  Bombay  says :  "  The  best 
"  Missionary  is  he,  who  knows  the  people  best.  The  more  a 
"  knowledge  of  Hinduism  and  Hindu  literature  is  possessed 
"  by  any  teacher,  the  more  patiently  and  uninterruptedly  will  he 
"  be  listened  to,  and  the  more  forcibly  will  he  be  able  bjy  contrast 
"  and  concession  to  set  forth  the  authority  and  excellence  of 
"  Christianity." 

Hear  Bishop  Hodges  of  Travanc6r :  "  Paul's  Method  of 
"  dealing  with  the  keen-witted  philosophers  of  Athens  may  well 
"  be  a  model  for  the  modern  Missionary  in  dealing  with  the 
"  higher  Castes  of  Hindus.  He  carried  out  the  principle,  which 
"  prudence  suggested,  of  becoming  an  Athenian  to  Athenians. 
"  And,  if  we  would  win  the  Brahmins  we  must  in  like  measure 
"  become  Brahmins.  We  cannot  hope  to  win  men  from  any 
"  error  unless  we  sympathize  with  them,  and  we  cannot  do  this, 
"  unless  we  understand  their  modes  of  thought,  and  the  principles 
"  by  which  they  are  guided.  To  do  this  requires  patience  and 
"  study ;  and  these  are  hard  to  acquire,  but  no  Missionary 
"  worthy  of  his  name  would  shrink  from  the  effort." 

I  was  sorry  to  hear  the  following  words  from  a  Missionary  on 
his  return  from  the  Field.  There  is  nothing  false  in  it,  as  I  know 
well  the  place  and  people  described  ;  but  there  is  an  entire 
absence  of  sympathy  with,  or  knowledge  of,  the  Religious  element. 
No  immorality  is  suggested  :  the  worshippers  in  the  town  clearly 
had  a  ritual,  and  observed  it;    the  villagers  had  no  worship, 


(     230     ) 

and  are  called  "atheists."  Perhaps  a  few  words  interchanged 
would  have  indicated,  that  they  had  a  Religious  Conception  also. 
Imagine  a  clever  Japanese  making  a  similar  account  of  the 
religious  practices  of  the  better  classes  in  London  :  **  He 
"  described  some  aspects  of  the  Hindu  Religion,  as  practised  at 
**  Delhi.  With  regard  to  worship,  the  most  important  point  is 
"  that  of  bathing  in  a  sacred  river.  This  takes  place  every 
•'  morning.  Only  the  more  religious  people  go  every  day. 
"  Sunday  is  the  favourite  day.  I'he  bathing  is  without  solemnity, 
**  and  the  bathers  are  engaged  in  ordinary  conversation.  Some 
**  turn  to  the  sun,  and  pour  water  towards  the  sun  from  their 
"  hands.  There  is  no  common  or  united  worship  ;  large  num- 
**  bers  of  people  are  coming,  as  others  are  going.  The  religious 
"  on  returning  to  the  shore  ask  a  Brahmin  to  put  marks  on 
"  their  foreheads,  and  then  go  home,  some  of  them  visiting  a 
*'  temple  on  the  way,  and  offering  a  few  flowers  and  some  water. 
**  There  are  no  temples  worthy  of  the  name.  Shrines  are  now 
*'  only  built  by  the  mercantile  classes.  They  allow  room  for 
"  about  four  worshippers  and  the  image.  They  are  for  the 
"  worship  of  Siva,  and  are  entirely  phallic.  In  the  villages  the 
'*  people  are  practically  atheist,  and  scarcely  ever  enter  a  temple. 

'*  He  described  the  Superstitions  added  to  their  Religion,  the 
**  shrines  for  the  small-pox-goddess  and  other  divinities,  and 
**  shrines  used  on  certain  days  of  the  week,  and  the  religious 
**  books.  He  said  that  they  were  ignorant  of  their  own  books, 
**  and  that  it  would  be  hard  to  find  five  men  who  knew  anything 
•*  of  the  Veda." 

I  quote  the  words  of  a  wise  Missionary  in  China :  "With  the 
**  scholarly  class  it  is  only  necessary,  that  the  Missionary  know 
**  something  of  the  Confucian  books.  Quoting  from  Confucius, 
"  or  his  disciples,  he  is  at  once  in  favour,  and  at  once  he  is  in 
'*  the  midst  of  religious  and  moral  topics,  capable  of  indefinite 
"  expansion.  It  is  a  mistake  to  think,  that  the  Confucianists  in 
*'  China  are  the  most  difficult  to  engage  in  religious  conversa- 
*'  tion,  though  they  may  be  most  difficult  of  Conversion  to  Christ. 
"  But  with  God  all  things  are  possible.  Coming  to  the  more 
"  simple  classes,  we  find,  that  their  thoughts  are  ever  recurring 
*'  to  religious  matters,  and  only  need  the  direction  of  the  true 
**  Christian  guide.  There  is  inquiry  in  China,  as  is  plainly  seen 
'*  by  the  vast  number  of  secret  sects  and  religious  tracts  and 
**  books.  Each  Missionary  only  needs  to  study  the  art  of  per- 
"  suasion,  and  so  fit  the  truths  he  teaches  to  the  people  who 
"  hear.  The  ways  are  diff"erent,  as  individuality  is  diff"erent ; 
"  but  if  the  teacher  be  apt  to  teach,  the  truth  will  soon  take 
"  eff-ect." 

And  I  quote  a  pleasant  narrative  of  a  sympathetic  Medical- 
Missionary  :  '*  Oftentimes  these  are  very  pleasant  gatherings. 


(     231     ) 

"  The  patients  appreciate  them  as  a  break  in  the  monotony  of 
"  their  day ;  while  the  period  of  quiet  and  enforced  rest  gives 
"  them  opportunity  for  thinking  about  the  truths,  which  they 
"  hear.  But  above  all,  the  great  advantage  of  Medical-Mission- 
"  work  is,  that  it  presents  such  obvious  facilities  for  showing,  that 
"  the  Christian  Religion  is  not  a  mere  collection  of  dogmas, 
"  that  it  is  no  barren  philosophy,  but  a  vital  principle  permeating 
"  the  lives  of  believers.  The  patients  can  test  our  teaching  by 
"  our  lives.  A  wound  carefully  dressed,  an  extra  visit,  patience 
**  under  the  provocation  of  disobedience  or  ingratitude,  justice 
"  in  the  control  of  a  large  establishment,  the  maintenance  of 
"  cleanliness,  and  all  that  goes  to  make  up  discipline,  the  oppor- 
"  tunities  for  demonstrating  the  difference  between  honest  work 
'*  and  eye-service,  these  things  are  more  valuable  than  many  a 
"  sermon.  And  when  combined  with  teaching  and  preaching, 
"  they  indicate,  that  philanthropy  is  not  distinct  from  Christi- 
*'  anity,  but  included  in  it.  And  thus  patients  are  brought  into 
**  contact  with  more  than  one  side  of  our  Religion." 

If  the  Christian  Church  is  to  become  permanent  in  China,  it 
must  be  solidly  based  on  National  self-respect,  affected  no 
doubt  by  National  weaknesses  :  Confucius  will  ever  remain  a 
power:  such  men  are  not  produced  every  Century.  The  Literati, 
and  Gentry,  whom  the  Missionary  is  always  girding  at,  represent 
the  Clergy  and  Landowners  of  Great  Britain,  not  faultless,  but 
still  respectable  and  exceedingly  conservative.  The  objection 
to  Fung  Chui,  or  Luck,  is  not  fictitious,  and  as  regards  houses 
and  lands  such  sentiments,  however  ridiculous  they  may  seem 
to  a  European  or  American  stranger,  indicate  the  feelings  of  a 
great  Nation,  which  cannot  be  despised,  and  will  probably 
survive  a  change  of  creed. 

Missionaries  accompany  the  pilgrims  on  their  pilgrimage  to 
the  Ganges,  and  take  the  opportunity  of  speaking  to  large 
audiences.  It  can  be  understood  how  favourable  such  occasions 
are.  In  the  Province  of  Canada  I  find  the  following  circum- 
stances described.  There  is  no  fear  of  the  Missionary  being 
degraded  by  such  actions. 

*'  In  May  the  Indians  all  left  to  celebrate  their  annual  sun- 
*'  dance,  about  eight  miles  from  the  Mission.  This  year  we 
**  followed  them  up,  and  pitched  our  Mission-tent  in  the  midst 
"  of  the  encampment.  We  held  school  every  day  for  the 
"  children,  with  an  average  attendance  of  eighty  scholars. 
"  When  school-hours  were  over,  the  Indians  came  to  smoke,  and 
"  talk,  and  many  were  the  opportunities  of  speaking  about  Jesus. 
"  When  the  actual  ceremony  of  torturing  the  body  was  about 
"  to  come  on,  I  spent  much  time  in  talking  to  the  chiefs  and 
"  head  men,  showing  them,  that  such  worship  was  contrary  to  the 
"  command  of  God,  and  that  no  blessing  could  be  expected 


(     232     ) 

"  from  it.  Two  men  were  painted,  and  prepared  with  incan- 
"  tations  and  prayers  for  the  ordeal.  The  ropes  were  suspended 
"  from  the  top  of  the  medicine-pole,  and  the  medicine-man  was 
"  about  to  make  the  incision  in  the  breasts  of  the  young  men 
"  through  which  to  place  the  bone  skewer  to  which  the  ropes 
"  were  to  be  attached.  Even  then  we  were  able  to  prevent  the 
**  ordeal,  with  the  aid  of  the  Indian  Agent,  by  prevailing  upon 
*'  the  chiefs  to  abandon  it.  To  God  be  all  the  praise  1  For 
**  the  first  time  in  the  Blackfoot-camp  no  torturing  took  place 
"  at  the  sun-dance.     May  it  never  again  1  " 

Hear  what  General  Booth,  of  the  Salvation -Army,  says  :  I  do 
not  often  agree  with  him,  but  I  do  so  here. 

•*  The  Mission  of  the  Future,  while  retaining  all  that  is  essential 
"  to  Godliness,  will  strive  to  adapt  itself  to  the  peculiar  habits,  con- 
"  ditions,  and  circumstances,  of  the  different  races  which  it  seeks  to 
"  conquer  for  Christ. 

"  Strange  that  this  common-sense  Method  should  ever  have 
**  been  neglected,  or  need  defending.  No  wonder  there  have 
**  been  such  miserable,  and  mortifying,  and  soul-ruining  failures, 
**  seeing  that  it  has  been  so  openly  and  boastfully  set  at  naught. 
**  This  is  a  principle,  that  is  acted  upon  every  hour  of  our 
**  existence,  in  almost  every  transaction  of  every-day  life.  We 
**  continually  become  all  things  to  all  men,  yielding  to  the 
"  eccentricities,  ignorance,  and  infirmities,  of  those  about  us,  in 
**  order  to  prevent  any  unnecessary  hurtfulness  to  their  feelings, 
"  or  to  accomplish  something  that  we  may  consider  of  im- 
**  portance.  This  principle  will  be  carried  out  in  the  Mission 
'*  of  the  future.  We  shall  learn  to  stoop  in  non-essential 
**  matters,  in  order  to  conquer  in  the  greater  things  that  concern 
**  and  lead  to  Salvation. 

*'  You  go  to  lead  and  guide  your  less-favoured  brethren  to 
*'  the  Christ,  who  bought  them  with  His  Blood.  Then  go  as  a 
**  brother,  and  do  not  go  at  all  unless  you  do.  I  say  to  my 
'•  Officer,  who  is  going  to  Holland,  *  Can  you  be  a  Dutchman  ? ' 
"  to  the  man  who  is  going  to  Zululand,  '  Can  you  be  a  Zulu  } ' 
"  to  the  one  going  to  India,  'Can  you  be  an  Indian  }  If  you 
**  cannot,  you  must  not  go  at  all.'  This  principle  has  only  to 
**  be  acted  out  to  prove  an  enormous  success.  The  Missionary- 
**  Societies  have  only  to  go  forward,  and,  with  the  opposite, 
**  setting  it  at  naught,  as  in  the  past,  in  order  to  perpetuate  the 
**  wretched  failures,  over  which  so  many  thoughtful  and  sensible 
**  Christians  are  mourning  to-day." 

A  Missionary,  who  had  been  seven  years  among  the  races  of 
the  Kongo,  remarked  to  me,  that  he  had  never  met  a  Savage  : 
they  were  capable  of  appreciating  the  exercise  of  the  great 
cardinal  virtues,  and  of  being  influenced  by  the  sincere,  unselfish, 
pure,  strong,  and  yet  gentle  character,  of  their  white  teacher.    It 


(     233     ) 

is  shocking  to  hear  and  read  of  the  tone  of  the  Missionaries  as 
regards  their  native  brethren  in  some  Missions  in  Africa  :  some 
of  them  seem  to  loathe  and  hate  the  Natives;  and  yet  the  Son  of 
God  did  not  disdain  to  take  upon  him  the  form  of  a  bond- 
servant or  slave,  SodXo^,  for  the  purpose  of  saving  mankind  :  how 
then  can  the  Missionary  disdain  to  speak,  feel,  and  live,  as  the 
people  of  the  country,  to  whom  he  is  sent,  if  by  so  doing  he  can 
save  them  ?  Take  the  extreme  case  of  the  distance  between  the 
European  and  the  Negro  :  how  little,  how  absolutely  nothing,  it 
appears,  when  contrasted  with  the  distance  betwixt  our  Lord, 
and  His  Disciples  !  Love  can  never  be  generated,  if  such  inti- 
macy be  not  formed,  if  there  is  evidenced  by  the  Missionary  the 
most  unjustifiable  Pride,  and  Caste,  and  Contempt.  Even  in 
secular  matters  the  value  of  a  Public  Officer  amidst  a  subject 
People  is  estimated  by  the  degree,  to  which  he  is  loved  and 
respected  by  them,  and  that  Love  and  Respect  is  only  purchased 
by  Intimacy  and  Sympathy. 

Mr.  Spurgeon,  in  his  last  speech  in  Exeter  Hall,  in  1888, 
remarked  on  the  gentleness  of  Christ :  **  Henceforth  I  call  you 
not  servants,  but  I  have  called  you  friends."  "  These  things  I 
have  said  unto  you,  that  ye  should  not  be  offended."  How 
different  is  the  bearing  of  the  European,  and  American,  Mis- 
sionary to  the  ancient,  civilized,  and  peaceable,  people  of  India 
and  China,  with  their  ancient  literature,  and  traditions,  and 
lineage  !  Does  he  call  them  *'  friends,"  or  is  he  careful,  that 
"  they  be  not  offended  "  ? 

I  say  with  deliberation  my  own  convictions,  that  Christian 
things  should  be  done  in  a  Christian  manner,  that  there  should 
be  more  sympathy  in  thought,  word,  and  deed,  expressed,  if  not 
felt :  as  it  is  now  in  the  Reports,  which  I  read,  there  is  scarcely 
a  breath  of  sympathy  for  the  provoking  non-Christian,  who 
refuses  to  hear,  or  be  convinced  after  hearing ;  there  is  not  a 
grain  of  pity  for  the  poor  dark-skinned  convert,  or  Mission- 
Agent,  or  Native  Pastor,  who  after  Centuries  of  Heathendom  and 
Mahometanism,  and  one  generation  of  a  very  weak  Christianity, 
does  not  at  once  **  per  saltum  "  pass  up  to  the  level  of  middle- 
class  Evangelicalism,  does  not  keep  clear  of  habits  and  weak- 
nesses of  his  Heathen  ancestors,  which  cling  to  his  flesh  :  those, 
who  judged  the  erring  Negro  Christians  on  the  Niger,  forget  to 
be  thankful  for  the  long  Centuries,  and  the  numerous  genera- 
tions, through  which  England  has  passed,  ere  it  reached  the 
small  modicum,  the  low-level,  of  Christianity,  to  which  some 
small  portion  of  its  population  has  attained,  while  a  majority 
are  as  much  Heathens  in  their  Religious  Conceptions,  and  as  free 
from  moral  restrictions,  as  our  forefathers  were,  when  they  were 
but  little  advanced  beyond  the  level  of  the  Civilization  of  the 
Negro. 


(     234     ) 

How  striking  are  the  incidental  touches  of  the  Gospel.  No 
doubt  the  Jews  were,  in  the  time  of  our  Lord,  a  puifed-up, 
egotistic  people,  better  in  their  own  opinion  than  all  the  Gentile 
world  :  the  Jews  are  so  still,  and  the  Hindu,  and  so  are  many 
Lnglishmen.  But  the  Master,  notwithstanding  His  Divinity, 
allowed  Himself  to  be  influenced  by  the  human  weakness  of 
Compassion  {aTrXaxvi^o/maL)  (to  have  the  bowels  yearning),  and 
in  one  case  it  is  specially  recorded,  that  He,  "  looking  upon  a 
young  man,  loved  him"  {rjr^dTrtjaei/),  and  He  loved  him,  although 
He  well  knew,  that  the  World  had  too  strong  a  hold  on  him  to 
allow  him  to  give  up  all  and  follow  Jesus :  is  not  this  an 
example  for  a  Missionary  ? 

There  exists  in  the  soul  of  the  rneanest,  and  most  degraded, 
and  most  stupid,  of  the  human  race,  a  Divine  Spark,  the  direct 
gift  of  the  Creator,  which  spiritual  intercourse  with  the  Personal 
and  Risen  Christ  can  fan  into  a  flame  of  goodness.  No  man 
is  hopelessly  bad  :  he  has  within  him  the  seeds  of  goodness,  if 
only  the  waters  of  life,  conveyed  by  a  loving  and  sympathetic 
hand,  and  the  sudden  illumination  of  his  environment,  brought 
about  by  the  words  of  his  Master,  and  the  prayers  of  a  true 
Servant  of  God,  permit  it  to  germinate,  and  bring  forth  fruit  one- 
hundredfold.  He  may  be  ugly  in  features,  filthy  in  his  dress, 
rude  and  coarse  in  his  utterances,  still  there  is  in  him  a  possi- 
bility of  Salvation,  which  discriminates  him  from  the  intelligent 
and  beautiful  animals,  which  gather  around  him,  and  who  live 
only  to  perish.  There  is  a  sweet  reasonableness  in  the  recorded 
words  of  Christ,  a  sweetness  and  a  light,  which  no  thoughtful 
man,  if  he  can  be  brought  to  think,  can  resist.  Still  there  is  one 
thing  higher  than  the  wriittn  Word,  which  retains  the  flavour 
of  ancient  days,  of  forgotten  surroundings,  narrow  views,  and 
physical  ignorance  :  that  thing  is  the  living,  eternal,  all-powerful, 
Word  of  God  in  the  heart  of  each  one  of  us,  ever  fresh  and  ever 
new,  adapted  to  the  environment  of  every  Century  and  every 
Country,  every  degree  of  Knowledge,  or  non-Knowledge,  every 
round  of  the  ladder  of  Social  Culture,  or  non- Culture.  Christ 
lives  for  ever,  and  is  renewed  in  the  same,  yet  seemingly  different, 
outward  form,  and  conception,  by  the  Chinese,  the  Indian,  the 
Negro,  the  Redskin,  the  Kanaka:  it  is  not  the  perquisite,  and 
monopoly,  of  the  good  Christian  of  the  English  middle-classes 
to  know  Christ  as  He  is,  and  as  He  deigns  to  reveal  Himself  to 
the  poor,  benighted,  intellects  of  Man  in  his  deepest  degradation. 

II.  Disloyal  to  Home-Committee. 

Still  more  reprehensible  is  the  conduct  of  those  Missionaries, 
who  are  misguided  enough  to  rebel  against  those,  who  sent  them 
out,  and  to  turn  the  resources,  which  were  entrusted  to  them, 


(     235     ) 

against  the  Home-Committee.  Cases  have  lately  occurred,  of 
a  character,  which  a  Merchant,  a  public  Official,  or  a  secular 
servant,  could  never  have  done,  and  which  nevertheless  a 
Christian  ordained  Missionary  justifies  himself  in  doing.  If  his 
views  upon  some  theological  point  undergo  a  change,  his  duty 
is  clear,  to  resign  his  connection  with  the  Society,  with  whose 
principles  he  is  no  longer  in  accord.  Instead  of  that,  I  have 
known  cases,  where  the  Missionary  threw  off  his  allegiance, 
claimed  the  souls  of  the  Converts  as  his  own  private  property, 
and,  in  defiance  of  all  honour,  all  Christian  duty,  attempted  to 
found  a  rival  Mission,  and  carry  on  a  work  in  antagonism  to  the 
Home-Committee,  which  selected  him,  equipped  him,  supported 
him,  and  to  whom  he  promised  obedience.  In  the  case  of  a 
tribe  of  considerable  numbers,  and  a  low  state  of  culture, 
bloodshed  might  be  the  consequence.  These  are  no  imaginary 
or  trifling  cases.     They  have  occurred  in  Asia  and  America. 

In  return  for  the  care  taken  of  him,  the  Missionary  should 
render  obedience,  not  the  slavish  obedience  of  the  Jesuit  Priest, 
but  the  ready,  and  self-forgetting,  submission  of  the  Christian 
Soldier.  In  Secular  Matters,  when  an  order  is  received  by  a  sub- 
ordinate officer,  he  can  temperately  remonstrate,  but,  if  the  order 
be  confirmed,  he  shall  render  instant  and  complete  obedience. 
What  a  contrast  is  found  in  the  conduct  of  some  self-willed,  and 
egotistic,  individuals,  who  forget  the  cause  of  their  work  in  Self, 
who  forget  to  practise  the  precepts  of  the  Gospel,  which  they 
preach ! 

Over  every  Mission  some  kind  of  Head-Pastor  is  absolutely 
necessary :  the  time  has  passed  for  placing  the  old  and  tried 
Agent  on  the  same  level  with  the  inexperienced  youth  ;  the 
gifted  man,  and  the  man  of  power,  on  the  same  level  with  the 
ordinary  hewer  of  wood.  All  experience  shows,  that  in  each 
Mission  there  must  be  some  kind  of  Organization,  some  defined 
plan  of  operations,  a  certain  grouping  in  centres,  and  detachment 
at  outposts,  a  certain  combination  of  different  qualifications, 
a  certain  diversity  of  ministrations,  and,  unless  there  be  a  ruling 
spirit,  and  a  governing  wheel,  the  end  must  be,  and  in  reality 
is,  loss  of  power,  or  confusion.  The  leader  need  not  necessarily 
be  the  oldest,  but  the  ablest,  one  who  has  had  the  peculiar 
Grace  of  Rule  conferred  upon  him.  We  find  it  in  things 
secular,  and  we  know,  that  it  has  not  been  wanting  in  things 
religious. 

12.  Defying  Laws  and  Customs  of  a  Country. 

It  would  seem  incredible,  that  Missionaries  should  be  charged 
with  the  heinous  crime  of  promoting  wars  among  Native  Tribes, 
but  I  adduce  the  following  resolution  of  the  Aborigines-Society 


(     236     ) 

as  proof:  "This  Society,  while  rejoicing  in  the  early  termi- 
"  nation  of  the  Zulu  War,  and  expressing  an  earnest  hope,  that 
**  Cetewayo  may  yet  be  dealt  with  in  a  just  and  magnanimous 
*'  spirit,  desires  to  call  the  serious  attention  of  the  Missionary- 
"  Societies  to  the  support,  which  many  of  their  representatives 
**  in  S.  Africa  have  given  to  this  wicked  and  unnecessary  war, 
**  apparently  under  the  impression,  that  the  cause  of  Missions 
**  will  be  promoted  by  the  invasion  and  conquest  of  the  Zulu 
**  territory.  This  Society  believes,  that  no  idea  could  be  more 
**  immoral  in  itself,  or  more  calculated  to  prove  fatal  to  Mis- 
"  sionary-enterprise  in  S.Africa;  and  it  therefore  considers,  that 
**  the  time  has  come,  when  it  is  imperative,  that  the  Missionary- 
"  Societies  should  impress  upon  their  Agents  the  duty  of  giving 
"  no  countenance  to  a  course  of  action  so  opposed  to  the 
**  principles,  upon  which  those  Societies  are  based,  as  well  as 
"  to  the  traditional  practice  of  English  Missionaries,  who  have 
**  laboured  among  uncivilized  races." 

The  French  Protestant  Missionaries  openly  admit,  that  they 
encouraged  the  Ba-Suto  in  S.  Africa  to  fight  against  the  British. 
It  would  seem,  as  if  the  Missionary-Societies  on  Lake  Nyassa 
regarded  with  complacency  the  idea  of  a  British  invasion  of  that 
Region,  which  would  necessarily  be  accompanied  by  slaughter 
of  the  people,  whom  they  wish  to  convert.  The  Missionary 
should  set  the  example  of  a  steady  and  willing  obedience  to  the 
law  of  the  land  :  he  assumes  an  awful  and  dangerous  responsi- 
bility, when  he  encourages  people,  over  whom  he  has  influence, 
to  resist  the  powers  that  be,  forgetting  the  advice  of  Paul  to 
the  Romans,  who  dwelt  under  the  rule  of  the  Emperor  Nero. 

In  U-Ganda  the  Missionaries  went  further,  joined  in  the  ex- 
pulsion of  the  Ruler,  and  profited  materially  from  the  success 
of  the  alien  invasion.  Posterity  will  have  to  form  a  judgment 
upon  this  unique  incident.  I  am  thankful,  that  the  Missionaries 
took  no  part  in  the  Ma-Tab^le  Scandal  of  1893. 

The  Missionary  should  not  meddle  in  the  Politics  of  the 
Country,  in  which  he  is  located ;  he  seldom  is  able  to  appreciate 
the  value  of  the  forces,  which  are  in  antagonism.  His  kingdom 
is  not  of  this  world.  It  is  monstrous,  when  a  Missionary  usurps 
the  power  of  a  Magistrate,  or  a  Chief,  and  tries  offenders,  and 
sentences  them  to  corporal  punishment,  or  even  Death.  Within 
the  last  ten  years  this  has  happened  in  Africa.  In  a  Patriarchal 
way  he  may  act  as  Umpire  to  remove  difflculties,  or  prevent 
bloodshed  ;  in  case  of  moral  off"ences  among  his  converts  he 
may  enforce  Church-penalties,  but  he  should  carefully  abstain 
from  personal  violence,  and  personal  restraint.  It  may  be  a 
question,  whether  he  is  justified  in  using  lethal  weapons,  or  fire- 
arms, in  resisting  an  invading  band  :  the  terrible  necessity  may 
sometimes  be  forced  upon  him  to  do  so  in  defence  of  life  and 


(     237     ) 

female  honour,  but  I  know  of  no  case,  where  matters  have  come 
to  this  pass  in  modern  times.  As  to  the  spoiling  of  goods  by 
the  tyranny  of  Officials,  or  petty  Chiefs,  or  the  inroads  of  free- 
booters, he  must  take  it  joyfully.  As  to  avenging  the  death  of 
a  fellow-labourer  or  follower,  he  must  not  think  of  it.  In  many 
parts  of  Asia  and  Africa  he  carries  his  life  in  his  hands,  and  if 
he  is  not  content  to  do  so,  he  had  better  leave  the  Field  and  go 
home  :  he  clearly  is  not  the  man  for  such  a  Mission. 

A  Mission-Station  should  not  be  allowed  to  be  a  city  of  refuge 
to  runaway  slaves ;  it  is  dangerous,  and  is  wrong.  Paul  did 
not  do  so.  Until  the  Civil  Power  abolishes  the  status  of  Slavery, 
the  Church  can  only  look  on  in  sorrow.  I  give  instances  of  the 
inconveniences  :  "  Reported  that  a  catechist  had  lately  been  in 
*'  trouble  through  assisting  a  man,  who  had  escaped  from  a 
"  creditor.  The  man  was  recaptured,  and  told  the  authorities 
"  what  had  been  done  to  help  him,  so  the  catechist  was  fined 
"/3  2^.  6d.,  which  he  hoped  would  be  repaid  to  him  by  the 
*'  Committee.  The  Local  Committee  felt  unable  to  do  this, 
**  but  the  various  Members  subscribed  /  2  ^s.,  and  decided  to 
"  ask  friends  for  the  balance.  A  catechist  was  charged  with 
*'  helping  two  slaves  of  an  influential  chief  to  escape,  and  he 
*'  demanded  restitution.  The  matter  at  one  time  looked  serious, 
"  but  appears  now  to  be  settled.  Such  cases  show  the  continued 
**  need  of  caution." 

And  again :  '*  I  asked  Bishop  Patteson  of  Melanesia  to 
"  consider,  what  was  the  sight  to  a  Christian  man,  of  slaves 
"  driven  off  with  a  yoke  on  their  necks,  and  whether  it  did  not 
"justify  armed  interposition.  He  replied,  upholding  the 
"  principle,  that  the  shepherd  is  shepherd  of  the  cruel  and 
**  erring,  as  well  as  of  the  oppressed,  and  ought  not  to  interfere." 

I  found  in  Morocco,  that  an  Agent  for  the  Conversion  of  the 
Jews  chose  to  interfere  as  regards  the  sale  of  slaves,  forbidding 
husband  and  wife  to  be  sold  separately :  this,  no  doubt,  was  a 
right  suggestion  ;  but  what  business  had  he  to  make  it?  It  might 
have  cost  him  his  life,  and  placed  the  Diplomatic  Representative 
of  his  Country  in  great  difficulties.  He  received  a  caution  from 
his  Committee  at  my  suggestion  to  keep  to  his  own  work. 

As  the  Organs  of  the  Church  of  Rome  hstve  openly  announced 
the  policy  of  arming  African  converts,  to  resist  their  lawful 
Sovereigns,  and  everybody  else,  whom  they  choose  to  oppose,  it 
is  as  well  to  state,  that  such  a  line  of  conduct  is  totally  opposed 
to  the  principles,  upon  which  Protestant  Missions  are  conducted, 
and  must  end  in  grievous  trouble,  and  contrary  to  the  New 
Testament. 

Then,  again,  the  Missionary  must  not  set  himself  up  as  a 
Reformer,  or  a  Patriot,  or  a  friend  of  oppressed  people  against 
their  lawful   Rulers.     Temperate   remonstrance  can  do  much, 


(     238     ) 

and  his  very  presence  is  a  safeguard  to  the  people ;  but,  if  a 
Missionary  so  conducts  himself  in  the  territory  of  an  independent 
Chief,  how  can  we  wonder,  that  the  Chief  forbids  his  entry  into 
his  kingdom,  or  ejects  him  beyond  his  frontier? 

Then  again,  as  regards  the  Criminal  Law  and  the  Police,  the 
Missionaries  are  not  the  Judges,  whether  the  local  Governor  be 
just  or  unjust,  and  it  is  a  monstrous  abuse  of  the  hospitality  of  a 
friendly  State  for  a  resident  alien  to  give  shelter  to  a  man,  for 
whose  arrest  a  warrant  had  been  issued,  to  conceal  him  in  the 
Mission-premises,  and  smuggle  him  out  of  the  Jurisdiction. 
Yet  such  a  case  is  reported  with  complacency  by  a  Missionary, 
who  thinks  that  he  has  done  a  praiseworthy  act.  In  British 
India  any  Missionary,  who  acted  thus,  would  have  found  himself 
next  day  in  prison  without  benefit  of  clergy. 

While  on  the  one  hand  Missionaries  should  not  refuse  to 
give  presents  in  lieu  of  transit-duty,  and  reasonable  taxation  to 
the  Sovereign,  or  Chief  of  the  Country,  they  should  resist  all 
exactions,  and  rather  leave  the  country,  if  the  demands  are 
unreasonable :  they  should  have  about  them  as  little  property  as 
possible,  so  as  not  to  excite  cupidity  :  under  no  possible  circum- 
stances should  a  Missionary  make  presents  of  lethal  weapons  of 
any  kind,  ammunition,  or  intoxicating  liquors  or  drugs :  he  should 
not  have  such  things  with  him  to  give.  It  is  scarcely  credible, 
but  it  is  recorded  as  a  fact,  that  Missionaries  have  presented 
firearms  to  Natives.  They  should  be  prohibited  from  doing  so, 
either  in  their  private  capacity,  or  as  Agents  of  the  Society. 

The  Missionary  should  try  to  make  the  Native  Chiefs  exercise 
a  rightful  authority,  and  only  give  them  advice.  Traders  charge 
the  Missionary  with  usurpation  of  power,  and  meddling  with 
politics,  and  trade  ;  those  complain  most,  who  want  to  take 
advantage  of  Native  ignorance.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Mis- 
sionary should  steadily  refuse  to  constitute  himself  a  Chieftain, 
or  arrogate  power  and  authority. 

A  judicious  Missionary  remarked  to  a  visitor,  that  he  placed 
great  importance  on  working  in  such  a  way,  as  not  to  embarrass 
the  Government.  The  wife  of  a  rich  Landowner  desired  to  be 
baptized  contrary  to  the  wishes  of  her  family.  She  entreated 
the  Missionary  to  help  her  to  escape  from  her  husband's  house, 
that  she  might  join  them.  She  was  told,  that  the  Christian 
Religion  forbade  him  to  countenance  such  acts  :  she  must 
remain  at  home,  and  strive  by  gentleness  and  persuasion  to 
lead  her  husband  to  sanction  her  desire  :  under  any  circum- 
stances she  must  wait  patiently. 

In  1852  an  emeute  took  place  in  the  great  city  of  Banaras  on 
a  local  matter :  I  was  one  of  the  Magistrates,  and  accompanied 
a  Regiment  to  enforce  obedience,  and  compel  the  tradesmen 
to   open   their   shops,  and   we   succeeded  without   bloodshed. 


(     239     ) 

Unknown  to  us  a  party  of  young  Missionaries  made  a  sudden 
attack  during  the  advance  of  the  Soldiers  on  the  private  house 
of  a  Brahmin,  captured  the  wife  of  a  convert,  who  had  been 
withheld  from  him,  and  made  her  drink  a  cup  of  tea,  and  thus 
break  her  Caste,  and  live  with  her  husband.  This  was  a  grave 
offence,  as  it  might  have  led  to  bloodshed;  at  any  rate  it  was  a 
gross  outrage  on  a  private  family  of  high  Caste,  and  contrary  to 
the  Law  of  British  India :  no  complaint  was  made  by  the 
outraged  family,  and  the  matter  dropt :  the  poor  child-wife  died 
in  a  few  months,  and  the  convert,  now  a  distinguished  Native 
Missionary,  has  never  married  again.  It  was  a  lamentable 
mistake,  and  shows  what  a  Missionary  should  not  do  :  if  he  had 
been  shot  down  or  stabbed,  what  a  loud  outcry  at  the  want  of 
toleration  would  have  been  made  I 

Mr.  Ashe,  late  a  Missionary  of  the  Church-Missionary-Society 
at  U-Ganda,  a  man  of  good  ability  and  experience,  justifies  a 
breach  of  the  Peace  by  himself:  he  acted  thus  in  the  German 
Sphere  in  E.  Africa :  **  The  first  matter  referred  to  a  most 
**  regrettable  incident,  which  occurred  during  a  visit  undertaken 
**  to  an  Urima  Chief,  when  I  found  myself  compelled,  by  cir- 
**  cumstances  of  extraordinary  difficulty  and  danger,  to  resort  to 
'*  a  course  of  action,  which  at  first  sight  might  appear  unjustifi- 
"  able,  since  it  included  the  removal  of  a  stone,  which  kept  the 
**  gate  of  the  village  closed,  and  which  had  temporarily  been 
**  placed  there,  and  so  entering  the  village;  and  which,  unhappily, 
**  culminated  in  the  firing  of  several  shots,  and  the  burning  of 
**  three  native  houses  ;  but  which  I  shall  show  was  a  course  of 
**  action,  that  the  circumstances  fully  justified. 

*'  There  are  a  good  many  cases  which  have  occurred  in  the 
**  annals  of  our  own  -Church-Missionary-Society's  Equatorial 
**  African  Mission,  where  Missionaries,  of  the  highest  principle, 
*'  and  of  undoubted  Christian  character,  have  been  compelled 
**  under  sudden  and  trying  emergencies  to  resort  to  acts  of 
"  violence. 

*'  I  give  a  little  analysis  of  these  cases,  which  deal  with  ten 
"  Missionaries. 

'*  Two  Missionaries  threaten  recalcitrant  natives  with  revolvers. 

**  Four  Missionaries  fire  on  natives,  wounding  three. 

**  Four  Missionaries  fire  on,  and  kill,  at  least  twenty-one 
"  natives. 

"  In  two  cases  three  Missionaries  were  killed. 

"  In  two  cases,  involving  four  Missionaries,  the  matter  was 
**  referred  to  the  civil  Authorities,  and  in  both  the  Missionaries 
*'  were  held  to  have  acted  with  justification,  while  in  four  cases 
**  no  further  notice  was  taken  of  the  matter,  as  far  as  I  am  aware. 

*•  I  have  here  only  referred  to  cases,  of  which  I  know  the 
"  full  particulars,  and  have  purposely  omitted  four  other  cases, 


(     240     ) 

"  where  violence  was  used,  in  one  instance  with  fatal  results, 
**  since  I  do  not  know  the  full  particulars." 

It  is  notorious,  that  a  Presbyterian  Missionary  at  Blantyre 
tried  and  condemned  a  man,  and  took  away  his  life.  All  this 
shows  the  extreme  necessity  of  a  Missionary  keeping  to  his  own 
peaceful  duties  :  if  the  hands  of  Great  Britain  were  shortened 
by  a  long  European  war,  the  fate  of  many  British  Missionaries 
is  sad  to  contemplate :  they  would  be  attacked  and  massacred : 
it  is  not  wise  to  found  a  Mission  on  Musquets  and  Maxim-guns. 
A  Medical-Missionary  in  the  independent  kingdom  of  Kashmir 
in  North  India,  ruled  over  by  a  Native  Sovereign,  whose 
Father  and  Grandfather  were  my  personal  friends  for  many 
years,  enjoyed  all  the  hospitality,  which  the  King  could  give  ; 
but  he  chose  to  get  up  stories  of  the  most  dreadful  character, 
that  the  King  had  drowned  many  of  his  subjects  in  the  lake, 
and  published  this  in  the  local  papers  of  North  India.  It  is 
no  wonder,  that  the  King,  and  the  British  Officers,  were  much 
annoyed :  such  statements  should  have  been  sent  confidentially 
to  the  Political  Officer  attached  to  the  King's  Court. 

Another  Missionary,  to  the  surprise  of  all  who  knew  him, 
took  a  violent  part  on  the  side  of  the  Natives  of  Bengal  against 
the  European  Indigo-planters :  possibly  his  statements  were 
accurate,  but  it  did  not  lie  in  his  mouth  to  make  them,  or  to 
head  an  agrarian  revolt.  It  ended  in  his  being  sent  to  Prison 
on  a  matter,  which  arose  out  of  this  departure  of  his  from  the 
proper  conduct  of  a  Preacher  of  the  Gospel  to  the  Heathen. 

I  read  in  the  Historical  Sketches  of  Natal  and  Zululand  of 
the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  in  1891,  the 
following  :  **  The  hostility  to  Missions  evinced  by  Cetewayo, 
*'  the  Zulu-king,  on  the  ground  that  he  lost  his  subjects,  led 
*'  the  Bishop  and  clergy  to  consider  the  proposal,  that  they 
"  should  address  themselves  on  the  subject  of  Christian  Missions 
"  in  the  first  instance  to  the  tribal  chieftains  themselves,  in  the 
**  hope  of  impressing  them  favourably  towards  Christianity,  and 
*'  so  of  convincing  them,  that  their  people  would  remain  firm 
"  in  their  allegiance.  It  was  felt  that  the  partial  change  of 
*'  allegiance,  which  came  to  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  duties 
*'  of  a  convert,  had  undoubtedly  hindered  the  spread  of  the 
"  Gospel  in  Africa,  by  raising  against  it  the  entire  influence 
**  of  the  chiefs,  whose  despotism  was  thus  menaced."  Such  a 
policy  might  lead  to  dangers  of  another  kind,  so  common  in  the 
early  ages  of  Christianity  :  as  a  fact,  Conversion  makes  no  change 
in  allegiance. 


(     241     ) 
13-  Tilting  against  Legal  Native  Customs. 

In  the  life  of  Mr.  Venn,  the  secretary  to  the  Church- 
Missionary-Society,  given  in  the  Organ  of  that  Society,  it  is 
mentioned,  that  a  feature  in  his  character  was  the  resolute 
manner,  in  which  he  ever  kept  clear  of  all  extraneous  questions, 
which  were  not  clearly  involved  in  the  duties  of  the  Committee: 
the  sensational  enthusiast,  now  called  Faddist,  could  not  convert 
the  great  Secretary  to  his  views:  according  to  him  the  Committee 
had  one  sole  object  to  pursue,  to  convert  the  World  to  Christ : 
peculiar  crazes,  and  collateral  evils,  should  be  ventilated  else- 
where. At  Jaggahnath,  the  great  Temple  of  the  Vishnuites,  at 
the  time  of  the  festival,  all  distinctions  of  Caste  for  the  time 
cease.  So  in  Salisbury  Square,  in  the  presence  of  the  great 
work  all  idiosyncrasies,  and  fads,  ought  to  disappear.  I  have 
known  a  downright  teetotaler  drink  claret  at  the  Church- 
Missionary-Society-luncheon  with  the  air  of  a  man  sacrificing 
his  prejudices  out  of  consideration  for  his  weaker  brethren:  if 
there  be  one  interest,  which  more  than  any  other  supplies  grist 
to  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Mill,  it  is  that  of  the  Brewer. 
It  is,  therefore,  a  strange  feature,  that  of  late  years  the  Intelligencer 
of  the  Church-Missionary-Society  has  become  the  handmaid  of 
the  Anti-Opium-Society,  and  an  Annual  Report  never  appears 
without  an  attack  upon  the  Government  of  India.  Such  attacks 
are,  of  course,  like  the  wagging  of  a  dog's  tail,  or  the  mop  of 
Mrs.  Partington,  and  very  unfair  on  the  Anglo-Indian  Members 
of  the  Committee,  who  cannot  see  any  cause  for  the  interference 
of  the  Church-Missionary-Society.  A  Bishop  was  asked  to  take 
part  in  the  Crusade  :  his  reply  was,  "  make  the  people  of  India 
"  and  China  Christians,  and  they  will  cease  to  eat,  or  smoke, 
*'  opium,  and  perhaps  keep  clear  of  Tobacco  and  Whiskey,  to 
**  which  the  English  introduce  them." 

And  with  regard  to  India,  why  do  Missionaries  run  a  tilt,  and 
a  very  hopeless  tilt  indeed,  against  that  universal  custom  in  India, 
known  as  Caste  ?  It  exists  all  over  the  world,  in  Great  Britain, 
and  in  North  America.  The  Missionary  himself  would  shudder 
at  the  idea  of  his  daughter  marrying  the  Native  Pastor,  or  of  his 
being  compelled  with  his  wife  and  family  to  eat  his  meals  with 
the  men  of  less  clean  habits  in  the  Native  village  :  he  would  say. 
with  justice,  that  his  origin,  his  habits,  his  culture,  are  different: 
but  the  population  of  India  is  made  up  of  an  infinite  number  of 
races,  and  tribes,  which  never  have  fused  together,  and  they 
shun  intermarriage,  and  commensality.  Let  everything  else, 
which  is  called  Caste,  be  swept  away :  one  Caste  does  not 
ordinarily  pretend,  that  it  is  better  than  another,  but  different, 
and,  the  lower  the  Caste  is,  the  more  particular  are  the  Caste- 
rules.     The  Civil  Government  in  its  Schools,  its  Railroads,  its 

i6 


(     242     ) 

Ferries,  its  Courts  of  Justice,  refuses  to  recognise  Caste:  let  the 
Missionary  draw  the  same  line,  and  insist,  that  in  the  School, 
and  Chapel,  and  at  the  Lord's  Table,  there  is  no  Caste,  and  not 
attempt  Love-feasts,  and  Social-gatherings,  and  forcibly  unite  in 
marriages  converts  of  different  Castes.  We  should  not  tolerate 
such  action  by  a  Minister  in  any  British  or  American  Church. 
Each  class  of  the  Community  lives  its  social  life  apart.  The 
Missionary  by  the  necessity  of  the  Vernacular  is  tied  for  the 
whole  of  his  life  to  one  narrow  Field  :  he  picks  out  what  he 
considers  to  be  the  great  obstacle  to  his  progress,  and  denounces 
it,  without  considering,  that  the  progress  of  Missions  in  other 
Regions,  where  that  particular  obstacle  does  not  exist,  is  not 
more  encouraging. 

Another  Crusade  has  been  made  by  the  Missionary  against  the 
custom  of  Infant-Marriage,  and  somehow  or  other  he  desires  to 
enforce  the  re-marriage  of  Hindu  widows :  he  does  not  tell  us 
how.  We  must  recollect  that  the  Family-Customs  of  Natives 
differ  in  different  countries :  how  wide  the  difference  betwixt 
the  Customs  of  the  Jews  at  the  time  of  our  Lord,  and  the 
Customs  of  Great  Britain  ! 

Another  fad  of  the  Missionary  in  China  is  the  Crusade  against 
Ancestral  Worship:  I  subjoin  an  extract  from  the  Chinese  limes'. 
•'  In  their  attempt  to  introduce  Christianity  into  China  the 
"  Missionaries  proceed  by  Methods,  which  would  be  condemned 
"  in  any  other  kind  of  enterprise,  moral,  or  material.  Instead 
"  of  looking  for  local  allies,  for  existing  foundations,  on  which 
*'  to  build,  and  trusting  to  the  divine  alchemy  of  their  Religion 
**  to  gradually  transmute  whatever  is  base  into  pure  gold,  they 
"  proceed  on  the  more  radical  principle  of  destroying,  in  order 
"  that  they  may  build  anew.  Scarcely  have  they  gained  a  foot- 
**  ing  in  the  country,  than  they  declare  war  to  the  knife  against 
"  its  most  cherished  institutions,  converting  the  moral  forces  of 
"  the  nation  into  bitter  enemies.  Aiming  at  nothing  less  than 
**  setting  up  a  spiritual  kingdom  in  the  hearts  of  the  Chinese 
"  people,  the  Missionaries  begin  by  shocking  such  feeling  of 
**  propriety,  as  they  already  possess.  That  delicate  piece  of 
**  mechanism,  the  conscience,  though  susceptible  of  education 
"  in  judicious  hands  possessing  a  nice  touch,  is  nevertheless 
•*  strong  to  resist  outrage.  The  conscience  even  of  the  Heathen 
**  was  acknowledged  by  the  early  Christians  to  have  been  suffi- 
**  ciently  well  adjusted  to  be  a  law  to  them,  whereby  they  were 
**  acquitted  or  condemned.  The  plan  has  never  succeeded  of 
"  telling  a  non-Christian,  that  the  parents,  whom  he  revered, 
**  were  burning  for  their  wickedness.  He  will  go  and  burn  with 
**  them,  if  he  have  the  spirit  of  a  man,  rather  than  follow  one, 
"  who  so  outrages  his  feelings.  So,  to  come  to  the  Chinaman, 
"  who  inherits  from  a  hundred  generations  of  ancestors  such  a 


(     243     ) 

"  love  of  them,  as  to  be  to  him  the  warp  and  woof  of  his  character, 
'*  and  bluntly  tell  him,  that  the  reverence,  which  he  shows  to  his 
**  deceased  parents  is  a  gross  offence,  which  he  must  abjure,  if 
"  he  would  escape  the  curse  of  God,  seems  the  most  unlikely 
"  way  to  gain  him  over.  *  What  is  to  be  expected  of  that 
"  Heathen  but  amazement  at  the  impudence  of  the  intruder,  and, 
**  if  he  stops  short  of  reviling  the  Deity  so  presented  to  him,  it 
*'  only  shows,  that  the  Heathen  has  the  virtue  of  forbearance, 
'*  which  is  lacking  to  the  Evangelist.  Humanly  speaking, 
*'  China  can  never  be  converted  to  Christianity,  while  violence 
*'  is  done  to  the  best  feelings  of  the  Nation;  and,  as  ancestral 
"  worship  is  a  Religion,  which  sits  deep  in  their  heart  of  hearts, 
"  some  means  of  accommodation  will  have  to  be  discovered 
**  before  Christians  can  make  any  impression  worth  mentioning 
**  on  this  people.  Hence  the  present  attitude  of  the  'body  of 
**  Missionaries,  with  a  few  notable  exceptions,  will  in  all  proba- 
"  bility  retard  the  progress  of  Christianity  for  at  least  a  genera- 
*'  tion.  There  is,  however,  a  worse  evil  than  even  loss  of  time, 
•*  for  the  revulsion,  engendered  in  the  minds  of  the  Chinese  by 
"  unprovoked  assaults  on  the  objects  of  their  affections,  is  likely 
"  enough  to  keep  alive,  and  probably  deepen,  their  prejudice 
"  against  the  foreign  Religion.  If  the  barrier,  while  slowly 
**  wearing  away  physically  and  geographically,  should  be  at  the 
*'  same  time  increasing  morally,  and  the  problem  of  regenerating 
"  China  thereby  becoming  progressively  harder,  the  present 
"  generation  of  Missionaries  may  be  not  only  spending  their 
**  own  lives  and  labour  fruitlessly,  but  actually  creating  obstacles 
**  for  those,  who  may  come  after  them.' " 

14.   Throwing    up   his   Vocation   for    his    own    Private 
Convenience. 

The  Missionary  in  these  days  should  ponder  well  over  the 
last  verse  of  the  ninth  chapter  of  St.  Luke's  Gospel.  Here  again 
the  Missionary  of  the  Church  of  Rome  presents  a  bright  example, 
and  magnificent  examples  are  supplied  in  the  annals  of  every 
Protestant  Mission.  It  is  a  life-work,  which  the  Missionary 
undertakes,  and  he  should  not  be  always  running  home  as  a 
'*  returned  empty."  The  contrast  of  those  brave  men,  who  hold 
on  beyond  their  strength,  comes  out  more  strongly,  when  the 
faces  of  others  are  seen  so  often  in  England.  It  was  not  so 
formerly,  but  with  the  facility  of  communication  has  come  a 
laxity  of  control,  and  an  infirmity  of  will.  Of  course  a  medical 
certificate  has  to  be  complied  with,  as  lives  must  not  be 
sacrificed  ;  but  I  allude  to  other  cases. 

It  has  been  well  said,  that  a  modern  Missionary's  career  is 
too  often  treated  as  a  mere  Profession,  like  that  of  a  Soldier  or  a 


(     244     ) 

Lawyer,  whereas  it  should  be  regarded  as  a  Vocation.  This  is 
the  very  root  of  the  whole  matter.  How  shall  a  man  preach, 
unless  he  be  sent  ?  on  the  other  hand,  if  he  be  sent,  called  of  God, 
how  can  he  refuse  to  go  ?  In  considering,  then,  the  qualifica- 
tions of  a  Missionary,  we  must  ever  bear  this  in  mind,  that  there 
are  diversities  of  gifts,  but  the  same  Spirit ;  and  that  the  one 
sole,  supreme,  and  absolute  qualification  for  a  Missionary  is 
Vocation  ;  without  which,  talents,  zeal,  nay,  even  personal  saintli- 
ness,  are  of  no  avail. 

What  shall  be  said  of  the  following  notice  ?     **  Mr.  A.  A.  J. 

*  Swann,  F.R.G.S.,  who  has  spent  many  years  in  Nyasaland, 
'  in  the  service  of  the  London-Missionary-Society,  has  resigned 
'  his  connection  with  that  body,  having  accepted  a  post  in  the 
'  British  Administration  of  Nyasaland,  under  Mr.  H.  H.  John- 

*  ston,  C.B.,  her  Majesty's  Commissioner  in  that  region.  Mr. 
'  Swann,  from  his  long  and  friendly  intercourse  with  both  chiefs 
'  and  natives  in  Nyasaland,  has  gained  a  wide  experience  in 
'  native  affairs.      He  leaves   for   his   new  post   on    board    the 

*  Union  Company's  steamer  *  Mexican,'  which  sails  on  March 
'  31st.    It  was  Mr.  Swann,  who  brought  to  England  the  first 

*  definite  news  of  the  murder  and  decapitation  of  Emin  Pasha 

*  by  the  Arabs." 

I  quote  the  following  from  a  well-known  writer :  "  But  such 

*  failures  are  not  confined  to  foreign  work :  we  know  of  them, 

*  alas  !  too  frequently  at  home.  Nor  are  they  confined  abroad 
'  to  men  from  our  Missionary-Colleges.     And  it  is  time,  that  it 

*  should  be  said  plainly,  that  they  are  not  even  confined  to  the 
'  lower  orders  of  the  ministry  :  one  of  the  chief  difficulties  at 

*  present  is,  that  so  many  Bishops,  having  put  their  hand  to  the 

*  plough,  speedily  turn  back.     As  to  the  right  and  wrong  of  this, 

*  God  alone  can  be  the  judge ;  but  most  certainly  it  forms  a 

*  very  serious  difficulty  for  us,  when  trying  to  urge  upon  our 

*  men  the  need  of  an  entire  life-surrender  to  the  work.     If  the 

*  officers  turn  back  from  the  breach,  who  shall  venture  to  be 

*  hard  upon  the  rank-and-file  ?  " 

Hear  the  announcement  of  a  Colonial  Bishop  in  a  most 
healthy  climate :  **  The  Doctors  assure  me,  that  my  dear  wife 
'•  cannot  return  to  my  Diocese  without  endangering  her  life.  I 
*'  could  not  deem  it  my  duty  to  accept  a  complete  separation  in 
'*  the  evening  of  our  lives  after  thirty-seven  years  of  union.  I 
**  have  no  alternative  but  to  relinquish  my  work  here." 

Tertullian  would  have  said,  that  no  married  man  should  enter 
the  ministry. 

Bishop  Steere,  who  after  a  long  separation  from  his  wife  died 
at  his  post,  remarks :  **  It  is  a  very  nice  question  of  conscience, 
**  how  far  a  man,  who  leaves  his  post,  because  his  wife  is  ill,  can 
*'  suppose   himself  one   of  those,    who  are   expected  to  leave 


(     245     ) 

"  everything  for  Christ.  I  should  be  ashamed  to  read  our 
"  Lord's  words  about  forsaking  home  and  so  forth,  if  I  had 
**  refused,  when  I  had  a  clear  opportunity  to  do  the  thing, 
*'  which  He  recommended." 

I  am  obliged  to  lay  stress  upon  such  cases,  because  the 
younger  clergy  follow  the  example,  throw  up  their  Vocation ; 
in  some  cases  of  University-men,  or  independent  men,  they 
were  legally  entitled  to  do  so.  But  think  of  the  young  man, 
picked  up  from  the  shop,  or  place  of  business,  instructed  at  the 
expense  of  the  Society,  and  a  very  considerable  expense, 
throwing  up  the  service  of  the  Lord  in  the  Mission-Field  after 
a  few  years'  service,  as  an  apprentice,  rather  than  an  efficient 
Missionary,  because  his  wife  is  sick :  his  wife,  whom  he  wilfully, 
and  against  all  consideration  of  expediency,  married  at  the  time, 
that  he  was  ordained.  What  blessing  can  accompany  in  their 
retreat  such  deserters  from  the  great  Army  of  the  Lord  }  The 
Lord  followed  Jonah  in  his  attempt  to  flee  to  Tarshish. 

For  years  I  have  drawn  attention  to  this  subject  in  Committee, 
but  it  is  all  in  vain.  The  head  of  a  Missionary-College  writes  as 
follows  :  *'  On  the  whole,  we  may  fairly  claim,  that  our  Missionary- 
"  Colleges,  though  by  no  means  perfect,  are  doing  a  solid  and 
**  useful  work,  if  humbly,  yet  not  ignobly.  There  is  much  still 
*'  to  be  desired,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  in  the  way  of  self- 
"  sacrifice,  and  self-efi"acement.  Men  are  apt  to  be  drawn  away 
**  by  the  all- pervading  desire  for  ease  and  self-indulgence  ;  there 
**  are  too  many  complaints,  that  they  do  not  care  to  do  menial 
**  offices,  or  to  take  off  their  coat  and  work,  where  need  requires. 
"  We  want  more  Hero-Missionaries  of  the  type  of  Boniface, 
*'  and  Columbanus.  And  we  need  more  leaders,  of  experience 
"  and  education  and  spiritual  power,  under  whose  guiding  care 
"  our  young  Missionaries  might  be  placed  on  going  abroad." 

Look  at  the  other  side  of  the  picture,  and  be  thankful,  that 
there  is  another  even  in  Protestant  Missions,  and  this  is  the 
only  possible  side  in  the  Romish  Missions.  Rejoice  that  Bishops 
Caldwell  and  Sargent  in  S.  India,  John  Newton  in  N.  India, 
and  many  others  at  all  periods  have  lived,  and  died  in  old  age, 
amidst  their  flocks,  and  that  many  old  men,  like  Robert  Clarke, 
are  still  at  work.  Read  the  account,  which  I  subjoin,  of  the 
funeral  of  a  Missionary-Bishop  in  the  Province  of  Canada  only 
last  year:  **  Saturday,  January  21st,  we  had  the  funeral.  The 
*'  coffin  was  closed  in  the  presence  of  four  clergy.  It  was  a 
**  lovely  afternoon,  almost  spring-like,  when  the  beautiful  Burial- 
**  Service  was  read,  and  the  first  Bishop  of  Moosonee's  body 
**  was  committed  to  the  grave  before  his  bereaved  people.  The 
'*  whole  adult  population  went  to  the  Church,  and  to  the  grave. 
*•  There  he  was  laid  amongst  his  flock,  as  he  had  said  he  wished 
"  to  be.     While  still  lying  in  the  Church  young  and  old  came  to 


(     246     ) 

"  take  the  last  farewell  of  the  face,  which  they  loved  so  well,  and 
*'  who  went  in  and  out  of  their  homes,  over  forty  years,  as  a 
"  Missionary,  Pastor,  Friend,  and  Bishop."  Every  Missionary 
should  wish,  and  be  determined  as  far  as  in  him  lies,  that  his 
last  end  should  be  like  this. 

When  better  than  pearls,  or  shekels  of  fine  gold,  the  believing 
man,  or  woman,  lays  himself,  or  herself,  on  the  altar  of  Missions, 
forgetting  Father,  Mother,  Husband,  Wife,  or  children  (our 
Lord  Himself  answered  the  question,  *who  is  my  Mother?'), 
God's  own  fire  comes  down  on  that  altar,  not  to  consume,  and 
destroy,  but  to  consecrate  :  he  or  she  are  accepted  in  the  Be- 
loved ;  but  they  must  not  turn  away  from  their  choice  a  few 
years  afterwards  to  suit  their  worldly  notions :  they  have  sold 
themselves,  body,  soul,  and  spirit,  to  their  Lord,  who  bought 
them  :  after  all  in  the  scale  of  human  gifts,  and  divine  possi- 
bilities, they  had  little  enough  to  offer,  but  the  lives  and  service 
of  two  commonplace  individuals  of  the  middle-classes  of  England, 
totally  unknown,  and  unvalued,  in  their  own  country:  but  it  was 
their  all,  and  God  valued  it,  and  accepted  it :  is  it  not  trifling 
with  the  Giver  of  all  good  things,  to  say,  **  my  wife  is  not  strong 
enough  for  the  climate,  so  I,  the  Lord's  chosen,  consecrated, 
servant,  must  pack  up  my  trunk,  and  go  back  to  my  place,"  as  if 
he  had  never  bound  himself  to  the  Lord. 

When  the  Crimean  War  broke  out,  a  young  officer  sent  in  his 
papers  to  retire  from  the  Regiment,  which  he  had  dishonoured 
by  his  presence  :  he  had  no  stomach  for  the  fight.  He  received 
during  the  next  week  many  envelopes  containing  nothing  but  a 
white  feather,  the  meaning  of  which  was  quite  intelligible  :  his 
reputation  as  a  Soldier,  a  Briton,  and  a  man,  was  tarnished,  and 
he  had  for  the  rest  of  his  days  to  carry  a  white  feather  on  his 
shield.  In  what  respect  does  the  Missionary-deserter  diff"er 
from  this  craven,  except  that  he  has  deserted  a  higher  post, 
failed  in  a  nobler  duty,  and  thrown  up  a  nobler  service  ?  I 
knew  a  case  of  a  Missionary,  who  brought  a  sick  wife  home,  and 
resigned.  She  died.  He  returned  to  his  duty,  and  is  doing 
excellent  service,  and  may  do  so  for  many  years  more.  Is  it 
necessary,  that  the  poor  woman  should  die,  in  order  to  save  the 
reputation  of  her  husband  ?  Should  she  not  humbly,  and  yet 
nobly,  bow  to  tlie  Lord's  will,  and  exclaim  :  "  I  had  hoped  to 
"  have  served  the  Lord  with  you  in  our  chosen  Vocation  :  He 
"  has  willed  it  otherwise :  return  to  your  holy  life-chosen  work 
**  without  me,  and  be  sustained  by  my  unceasing  prayer  for  your 
**  welfare."  This  is  the  age  of  Special  Services:  there  should 
be  a  special  service  to  receive  such  a  recreant  in  the  Committee- 
room  :  a  white  feather  should  be  solemnly  handed  to  him  by 
such  men,  as  Bishop  French,  and  Bishop  Stuart,  who  even  in 
their  old  age  cannot  be  kept  back  from  the  Holy  War;  and  some 


(     247     ) 

Missionary,  who  in  the  prime  of  his  life,  and  fulness  of  his 
powers,  has  been  forced  home  by  the  imperative  order  of  his 
Doctor,  because  a  hopeless  malady  has  totally  disqualified  him 
for  work,  should  describe  to  the  deserter  the  sorrow,  which  he 
felt,  at  being  torn  away  from  his  duty,  his  flock,  and  his  earliest 
and  latest  love,  the  Saving  of  Souls. 

I  am  not  alone  in  these  sentiments.  Hear  what  the  Arch- 
deacon of  London  said  in  May,  1894  :  "  Brothers  and  sisters  in 
"  Christ  Jesus !  There  is  another  point,  in  which  the  Church- 
**  Missionary-Society  is  of  deep  spiritual  importance  to  our  own 
"  souls.  It  brings  home  to  our  hearts  individually  the  lesson 
"  of  Personal  Consecration.  There  is  a  tendency  amongst  us 
"  Christians  at  home  to  lead  easy,  comfortable  lives,  to  devote 
•'  no  very  great  share  of  our  thoughts,  interests,  or  resources 
"  to  the  things  of  God,  to  think  a  good  deal  of  quiet  reasonable 
"  enjoyment,  and  with  the  exception  of  being  regular  and  con- 
*'  sistent  in  our  religious  duties,  to  seem  not  very  different  from 
**  the  people  of  the  world.  As  long  as  we  exercise  ourselves 
**  to  have  a  conscience  void  of  offence  toward  God,  and  towards 
"  men,  it  appears  on  a  merely  superficial  view,  that  of  us  no 
*'  very  great  effort  is  required.  With  that  superficial  view  too 
'*  many  Christians  are  content.  And  then  there  comes  to  us, 
**  like  a  lightning  flash,  the  example  of  a  Bishop  Hannington,  a 
*'  Bishop  Parker,  a  Bishop  Horden,  a  Bishop  Hill.  Yes  1  Here 
'*  he  stood  only  last  year,  full  of  earnest  hope  and  energy,  ready 
**  to  spend  his  life,  be  it  long  or  short,  amongst  heathen  savages 
"  in  the  service  of  that  Lord,  in  whom  he  so  utterly  and  entirely 
*'  believed.  He  might  have  remained  at  home  in  some  pleasant 
"  English  country-rectory,  and  had  a  very  useful  career,  and 
'*  filled  his  Church  with  devout  worshippers,  and  visited  his 
"  schools,  and  tended  his  sick,  and  died  in  a  good  old  age 
"  amidst  the  genuine  tears  and  affectionate  regret  of  his  people. 
**  He  chose  to  face  death  and  danger  in  his  loving  sympathy 
"  for  the  thousand  Millions  of  the  earth's  inhabitants,  who  do 
**  not  yet  know  the  way  of  peace  ;  and  the  death,  of  which  he 
•'  had  counted  the  risk,  came  to  him  with  unexpected  rapidity. 
"  And  other  bright  young  lives,  full  of  promise,  were  taken  with 
**  him  by  the  same  inexorable  law  of  nature,  that  fever  is  the 
"  Nemesis  of  an  undrained  tropical  country.  The  examples,  of 
"  which  we  speak,  are  noble,  saintly,  illustrious,  and  worthy  of 
**  the  best  days  of  the  Church.  But  there  was  no  different 
*'  command  laid  upon  them  from  that,  which  is  laid  upon  you 
*'  and  me  1  To  you  and  me  there  is  the  same  merciful  law,  *  If 
**  any  man  will  come  after  Me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and  take 
*'  up  his  cross  daily,  and  follow  Me ' ;  '  He  that  loveth  father  or 
*'  mother  more  than  Me  is  not  worthy  of  Me  ; '  '  Ye  are  not  your 
**  own,  ye  are  bought  with  a  price.'     There  is  no  command  to 


(     248     ) 

"  self-devotion  and  self-sacrifice,  which  applies  to  them,  which 
*'  does  not  apply  to  us  also.  We  at  home  must  be  as  complete, 
'*  and  heroic,  in  our  relinquishment  of  our  own  desires,  ideas, 
"  and  wishes  as  they.  Each  of  the  ninety-three  men,  who  in 
**  the  past  twelve  months  have  been  accepted  by  the  Society,  is  a 
"  direct  warning  to  ourselves.  They  are  leaving  father  and 
•*  mother,  and  brothers  and  sisters,  and  kindred  and  lands,  ties 
"  as  dear  to  them  as  to  us,  for  Christ's  sake  and  the  Gospel's. 
"  We  have  chosen  to  stay,  and  fulfil  our  duties  at  home.  What 
'*  are  we  doing  to  compare  with  their  resolve  and  unselfishness  ? 
*'  Are  we  devoting  the  whole  of  our  time,  and  energies,  and  re- 
*'  sources,  to  the  spread  of  the  Kingdom  of  Christ  at  home  and 
"  abroad  ?  " 

No  one  is  more  antagonistic  to  the  doctrines  and  practice  of 
the  Church  of  Rome  than  I  am,  as  is  evidenced  by  my  writings  : 
still  *•  Fas  est  et  ab  hoste  doceri."  I  quote  from  the  Times :  •*  A 
**  venerable  ecclesiastical  figure  in  India  has  lately  passed  away. 
'*  During  50  years  Bishop  Bigandet  has  been  the  Christian  philo- 
*'  sopher  of  Burma,  and  the  most  continuous  spiritual  influence, 
**  which  the  West  has  brought  to  bear  upon  the  Burmese  races. 
**  It  is  no  disparagement  to  Judson  to  say,  and,  indeed,  that 
"  noble-hearted  American  would  have  cordially  acknowledged, 
"  that  Bigandet  had  an  access  to  the  inner  thoughts  of  the 
**  people,  which  a  Protestant  Missionary  can  scarcely  hope  to 
"  win.  As  a  Romish  priest  and  celibate,  the  Monsignor  held 
"  the  key  to  the  institutions  of  a  country,  whose  educational 
"  system  and  whole  religious  life  are  based  upon  monastic  and 
"  celibate  orders.  The  initial  antagonism,  which  a  married 
**  Missionary  feels  to  such  a  system,  and  the  tendency  to  con- 
**  demn  it  on  insufficient  knowledge,  were  to  him  unknown.  He 
"  started  at  the  point,  to  which  many  of  our  Protestant  Mis- 
"  sionaries  ultimately  attain.  W^hile  never  underrating  the 
"  differences  between  the  native  faiths  and  Christian  Verity,  he 
**  recognised  the  controlling  influence,  which  those  faiths  exert 
"  upon  the  conduct  of  life,  and  his  attitude  was  one  of  careful, 
"  but  sympathetic,  study  of  the  Religions,  by  which  that  control 
"  is  enforced." 

15.  Holding  Secular  Offices  or  Honours. 

Missionaries  should  decline  to  undertake  any  duty,  that  is  not 
included  in  the  words  **  carrying  the  Gospel  to  the  non-Christian 
world  "  :  the  office  of  Magistrate,  Vice-Consul,  Member  of  Local 
Board,  or  anything  connected  with  the  Civil  or  Criminal  admin- 
istration of  the  State,  should  be  refused,  if  off"ered.  It  is  a  snare. 
A  Missionary  writes  in  an  Annual  Report  as  follows,  from  a  great 
City  in  Upper  India:  "I  am  terribly  deep  in  Municipal  Com- 


(     249     ) 

'*  mittee-matters.  I  am  going  in  especially  for  the  Conservancy 
"  of  the  City,  and  the  Water-supply."  Imagine  Paul  looking 
after  the  drains  of  Corinth,  or  the  water-supply  of  Ephesus ! 
These  kinds  of  employment  must  destroy  Spirituality,  if  it  ever 
existed.  So  also  a  Missionary  should  decline  to  take  permanent 
clerical  duty  among  Europeans,  which  interferes  with  his  proper 
work.  This  will  not  exclude  occasional  services  in  the  Church, 
and  visits  to  the  sick,  when  called  upon  ;  but  under  no  circum- 
stances should  he  take  any  emolument.  He  should  never  act  as 
Chaplain  of  a  Civil  and  Military  Station,  or  the  Medical  Officer 
of  a  Secular  Hospital. 

I  quote  from  a  Lagos  Newspaper,  1894:  it  is  not  pleasant 
Missionary-reading :  "  There  were  those,  who  advised  that,  in- 
'*  asmuch,  as  Mr.  Boston  was  unwilling  to  leave  his  J. P.  honours, 
**  the  Committee  should  have  removed  him  to  such  quarters  in 
**  their  Mission-Field,  where  his  Government-Commission  would 
**  have  been  inoperative.  Unfortunately,  however,  the  whole  of 
**  the  Missions-Stations  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Committee 
*'  were  included  within  the  sphere  of  British  influence,  as  upheld 
"  by  the  Local  Government.  Besides,  it  is  a  question,  whether 
**  the  mere  fact  of  a  transfer  would  have  rendered  the  Commis- 
**  sion  a  nullity,  when  there  was  nothing  to  prevent  the  Revd. 
"  gentleman  from  seeking  means,  whereby  effect  could  have 
"  been  given  in  the  locality,  whereunto  he  would  have  been 
**  transferred,  to  the  Commission  in  question.  Apart  from  this, 
**  there  was  the  question  of  inexpediency.  For,  experience  has 
"  taught  the  Church-Authorities  here,  if  not  elsewhere  on  the 
*'  coast,  the  undesirableness  of  carrying  on  Missionary-opera- 
"  tions  amongst  the  Heathens  through  the  efforts  of  Agents, 
**  vested  with  the  authority  of  a  Civil  Government.  In  such  a 
**  case,  it  will  be  readily  admitted,  the  Missionary-character  of 
**  the  work  would  be  considerably  impaired,  as  the  Missionary 
"  would  be  very  often  tempted  to  overcome  the  difficulties  in  his 
"  way  by  the  assistance  of  the  power,  which  his  other  position 
**  gave  him.  It  was  even  said,  that  Mr.  Boston  mentioned  it  to 
"  the  members  of  the  Committee,  that  his  position  as  Justice  of 
*'  the  Peace  at  Yongro  would  enable  him  the  better  to  prosecute 
**  his  Missionary-work  more  successfully  in  the  Bullom-Shore. 
**  If  such  a  suggestion  were  made  by  him,  it  was  certainly  a  most 
**  unadvised  one,  and  deserved  to  be  corrected.  However  much 
"  it  may  be  desirable  to  have  the  Heathens  converted  to  the 
"  Christian  Faith,  any  attempt  to  influence  them  beyond  those, 
"  which  we  are  bound  to  regard  to  be  sufficiently  potent,  viz., 
*'  the  preached  Word,  and  exemplary  conduct  on  the  part  of  the 
"  Missionary,  cannot  be  too  severely  deprecated.  Every  thinking 
"  mind  deplores  the  growing  Religious  formality  in  this  Colony; 
"  whereas  in  other  parts  of  the  Dark  Continent,  where  the  purely 


(     250     ) 

**  Missionary-Agency  is  employed,  those,  who  have  been  plucked 
**  out  of  the  burning  have  ever  been  known  to  manifest  a  better 
*'  evidence  of  the  Faith  that  is  in  them,  than  their  brethren  in 
"  this  portion  of  Africa.  It  is  an  admitted  fact  that,  though  the 
*'  early  Missionaries  in  Sierra  Leone  were,  as  a  whole,  good  and 
*'  devoted  servants  of  the  Cross,  yet,  the  effectiveness  of  their 
**  work  in  respect  of  Method  and  permanent  good  results,  was, 
"  to  a  considerable  extent,  impaired  by  the  Magisterial  and  other 
*'  Civil  appointments,  whereby  opportunities  of  constraining 
**  men  to  become  Christians  have  been  easily  obtained.  The 
**  re-captives  were  wont  to  relate,  how  some  of  them  were  in  a 
"  variety  of  ways  punished  at  the  instance  of  the  early  Mission- 
**  aries  for  absenting  themselves  from  Divine  Service  without 
"  assigning  sufficient  reasons  for  so  doing,  when  called  upon  to 
"  account.  Many  a  time  during  the  continuance  of  Divine 
"  Service,  spies  were  sent  to  suspected  localities,  so  that,  as  a 
**  matter  of  fact,  many  became  Christians  only  for  the  purpose 
**  of  preventing  punishment.  It  is  undoubtedly  true,  that,  if  the 
"  old  Missionaries  had  confined  themselves  to  the  ordinary 
**  Methods  of  Christianizing  the  Heathen,  the  progress  of  their 
"  enterprise  would  have  been  rather  tardy,  while  at  the  same 
**  time  the  results  accrued  would  have  been  more  real  and  lasting. 
"  It  therefore  behoves  the  successors  of  those  Missionaries,  and 
**  others  responsible  for  the  planning  out  of  Missionary-under- 
**  takings,  to  take  every  possible  precaution,  in  order  to  avoid 
"  the  errors  of  the  past.'* 

There  is  not  much  fear  of  a  British  Missionary  being  troubled 
by  British  Honours,  but  it  is  interesting  to  read  how  thoroughly 
the  French  Missionary  is  imbued  with  the  idea  of  being  a 
Frenchman  first,  and  a  Christian  afterwards,  as  is  evidenced  by 
the  fact,  that  in  December,  1885,  M.  Casalis,  a  Missionary  of  the 
French  Missions  Evangeliques,  in  Ba-Sutoland,  was  decorated 
with  the  order  of  the  Legion  of  Honour  because  :  **  II  a  con- 
**  tribu6  par  ses  Missions  au  developpement  de  I'influence 
**  fran^aise  dans  I'Afrique  Australe.  Titres  exceptionelles." 
The  Periodical  states,  that  a  considerable  population  in  the 
heart  of  a  British  Colony  only  pronounce  the  name  of  France  to 
bless  it,  as  it  is  synonymous  with  Goodness,  Justice  and  Charity. 

I  am  grieved  to  read  in  Le  Chretien  Beige  of  June,  1891,  the 
following  notice  of  a  British  Protestant  Missionary  receiving  a 
secular  order  for  secular  services  rendered  to  a  foreign  Sovereign 
of  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  receiving  it  personally:  "  A  I'occasion 
**  d'une  entrevue,  qu'il  a  eue  dernierement  avec  notre  Roi, 
"  M.  le  rev.  Grenfell  a  6t6  decor6  chevalier  de  I'Ordre  de 
"  Leopold,  en  reconnaissance  des  services,  qu'il  a  rendus  au 
'*  Congo." 


(     251     ) 
1 6.  Living  in  Society  of  Secular  White  Men. 

Let  the  Missionary  shun  the  worldly  and  fashionable  life 
of  his  countrymen  :  he  will  find  it  impossible  to  maintain  the 
double  position.  If  he  cares  for  the  Natives,  as  he  ought  to 
care,  he  must  live  for  them,  and  among  them.  He  cannot,  and 
he  ought  not,  to  drag  them  up  :  he  must  condescend  to  men 
of  low  estate,  leading  a  simple  holy  life  in  their  midst.  The 
residence  of  the  Missionary,  and  his  way  of  life,  should  be 
simple :  his  profession  is  a  serious  one,  and  his  family  should 
not  surround  themselves  with  the  luxuries  of  secular  life.  In 
the  Missionary-Conference  at  Lahore  in  1862,  I  was  amazed 
at  the  manifestation  of  the  seeds  of  bitterness,  already  sown 
betwixt  the  Missionary  and  his  converts,  and  this  is  one  of  the 
trials  of  the  future.  It  is  vain  to  suppose,  that  the  man  of 
European  culture  can  ever  be  brought  to  the  level  of  the  Natives 
of  Asia,  Africa,  or  Oceania;  there  is  the  abyss  of  Centuries 
betwixt  them  ;  but  the  difference  need  not  be  accentuated. 

I  quote  the  remarks  of  a  speaker  of  good  experience  :  "  He 
*'  held,  that  many  of  the  conditions  of  Mission-life  did  not 
**  support  the  Missionary-cause.  Quite  lately  he  had  heard  from 
**  a  perfectly  independent  critic,  that  in  his  judgment  many 
'*  Missionaries  lived  in  far  more  easy  circumstances  than  their 
**  own  families  at  home.  Missionaries,  he  thought,  too  often 
**  yielded  to  their  environment.  Europeans  visited  the  Mis- 
**  sionaries,  and  what  could  be  more  natural,  they  thought,  than 
**  to  live  as  they  did.  But  he  believed  that  the  number  of  men 
"  false  to  their  Faith  was  infinitesimally  small.  He  would  not 
**  like  to  let  them  separate  without  saying,  that  of  the  noble 
"  army  of  Missionary-confessors  there  were  very  many  who  had 
*'  not  the  simplest  comforts  of  life,  and  endured  many  things, 
"  which  the  English  poor  were  commiserated  for  enduring. 
**  Bishops  had  to  mend  their  own  stockings,  paddle  their  own 
"  canoes,  pull  their  own  sledges  across  the  snow,  and  camp  out 
*'  in  the  open  air  without  food  or  fire,  and  yet  were  affectionate, 
**  and  cheerful." 

It  is  impossible  for  the  white  man  from  Europe  and  North 
America  to  attempt  to  live  the  life,  wear  the  clothes,  and  eat 
the  food  of  the  Asiatic,  African,  or  Oceanian.  He  would 
succumb  in  a  few  months.  The  modern  suggestions  of  Brother- 
hoods, and  Associated  Evangelists,  will  settle  that  problem :  It 
is  the  women,  and  children,  and  servants,  and  conveyances,  that 
cost  so  much.  During  my  residence  in  India,  spreading  over 
twenty-five  years,  I  rejoiced  in  the  society  of  Missionaries,  and 
always  sought  them  out.  I  think,  that  they  might  be  more 
accessible  to  natives:  perhaps  in  Brotherhoods  this  is  possible. 
When  they  are  in  camp,  nothing  can  be  better.     Here  again  the 


(     252     ) 

absence  of  family-ties  helps  them.  It  is  really  essential,  that  a 
Missionary  should  move  about  among  the  people.  A  rolling 
stone  is  said  to  gather  no  moss,  but  a  stone,  that  never  moves, 
is  apt  to  be  choked  with  moss.  Nor  on  the  other  hand,  should 
he  itinerate  too  widely,  but  return  year  by  year  to  old  acquaint- 
ances. Human  kindness  is  a  key,  that  opens  every  door, 
however  firmly  it  may  seem  to  be  closed  against  us.  In  the 
early  days  of  a  Mission,  before  the  language  is  learnt,  very 
little  dependence  can  be  placed  on  oral  teaching,  but  power 
and  influence  is  obtained  by  a  consistent  Christian  life.  Some- 
thing in  the  manner,  and  voice,  and  general  bearing,  has  a 
magic  efl'ect  upon  unsophisticated  races,  and  the  constant 
exhibition  of  the  Christian  virtues  of  gentleness,  patience,  pity, 
purity,  can  never  be  without  its  charms  and  its  influence.  We 
hear  repeatedly  of  complete  systems  of  village-itinerations  and 
preachings,  conducted  by  parties  of  male,  or  female.  Agents 
separately  in  a  patient,  leisurely,  and  sympathetic  manner. 
This  brings  the  Missionary  into  immediate  touch  with  the 
people,  and  has  in  it  the  elements  of  success,  for  no  doubt 
many  visitors  will  crowd  the  tent  in  the  evening-hours,  as  it 
used  to  be  my  happy  lot  many  years  ago  in  my  solitary  tours 
among  my  people  on  secular  duties.  It  is  thus,  and  thus  only, 
that  the  white  man  gains  influence  over  the  natives  of  a  country 
in  a  lower  stage  of  Civilization,  who  are  still  men  with  hearts  to 
be  touched,  and  aff"ections  gained. 

17.  Offending  against  intra-Mission  Comity,  Protestant, 
OR  Romish. 

Gradually  this  principle  has  obtained  among  Protestant 
Missions,  and  it  should  be  religiously  observed.  Great  cities 
with  a  population  of  (say)  ten  thousand  inhabitants  should  not 
belong  exclusively  to  any  one  denomination,  but  rural  districts, 
and  market  towns,  should  be  understood  to  be  portioned  out, 
and  intrusion  should  be  avoided. 

A  well-known  writer  repeats  the  suggestion  made  by  myself 
in  my  **  Africa  Rediviva,"  1891  :  **  Speaking  of  the  problems  of 
•*  Missionary-enterprise,  Mr.  Buckland  held,  that  the  Comity 
**  of  Missions  was  one  of  the  most  important  elements  of  the 
•*  Mission-work.  He  was  not  sure,  that  it  would  not  even  be  worth 
*'  while  to  approach  the  Church  of  Rome  in  this  matter ;  at  any 
"  rate,  he  was  sure,  that  every  efl"ort  should  be  made  to  avoid 
"  setting  opposing  views  of  the  Christian  Religion  before  the 
**  Heathen,  for  wherever  a  Protestant  Mission  succeeded,  the 
**  Romish  Mission  followed." 

The  U-Ganda  Scandal  has  happened  since,  and  made  the 
problem  still  more  acute.     It  is  of  no  use  for  the  Missionaries 


(     253     ) 

of  either  faction  ignoring  the  facts,  that  hundreds  and  hundreds 
of  a  different  phase  of  the  Christian  Faith  are  at  work  not  very 
far  oif  from  each  other.  Some  years  back  I  took  the  trouble  of 
going  over  to  Tunis  to  see  the  late  Cardinal  Lavigerie  on  the 
subject :  he  entirely  agreed  with  me,  and  a  certain  interval  of 
distance  was  suggested  by  him  between  rival  Mission-Stations. 

I  subjoin  the  opinion  of  another  authority :  "  But,  besides 
''  this,  I  may  venture  to  say,  that  I  feel  an  entire  sympathy  with 
**  the  main  principles,  upon  which,  as  I  understand  it,  this 
**  Society  pursues  its  Missionary-work.  Unless  I  entirely  mis- 
'*  interpret  the  spirit  of  this  Society,  it  desires  to  act  on  the 
"  broadest  principles  of  unity  and  concord  with  other  Christian 
•*  Missionary-Societies  in  England ;  and  it  has  worthily  main- 
**  tained  the  traditions  of  its  founders,  for  we  all  of  us  know, 
*'  that  the  names  of  David  Brown,  of  Claudius  Buchanan,  and 
"  Henry  Martyn,  were  associated  in  the  annals  of  the  Society 
"  with  those  of  Carey,  Henry  Marshman,  and  Ward.  My 
**  friends,  it  has  often  struck  me,  as  it  has,  no  doubt,  most 
*'  seriously-minded  men,  who  visit  India,  that  the  differences  of 
"  detail  between  different  Societies  of  Christians  sink  into 
"  entire  insignificance  when  the  Missionary  is  brought  face  to 
**  face  with  the  Hindu  and  Mahometan  Religions.  I  feel 
"  satisfied,  that  this  principle  is  a  sound  one,  and  it  commands 
*'  my  most  entire  sympathy.  I  would  venture  to  say  one  word 
*'  in  favour  of  Romish  Missions.  After  all,  they  are  our  fellow- 
*'  Christians.  We  must  not  forget,  that  some  of  the  most 
'*  earnest  and  self-denying  men  are  in  their  number." 

Whatever  the  Missionaries  of  this  generation  may  plan,  or 
propose,  or  do,  the  converts  of  the  next  generation  will  do  as 
seems  best  to  themselves  as  regards  dogma  and  Church-Govern- 
ment. The  non-Christian  world  is  large  enough  for  all  the 
Churches,  however  great  may  be  their  efforts.  Educational 
establishments  may  be  supported  by  the  union  of  several 
denominations,  but  pure  Evangelizing  work  must  be  done 
separately  by  each  Church,  and  this  leaves  room  for  rivalry  and 
animosity.  Converts  expelled  from  one  Church  might  be  admitted 
into  another,  and  thus  bad  feelings  would  be  generated.  It  is 
neither  wise,  nor  prudent,  nor  Christ-like,  to  intrude  into  the 
Mission-Field  of  a  Sister-Society.  Seceders  from  one  fold  should 
not  be  admitted  into  another ;  Native  Agents  discharged  should 
not  find  ready  employment  in  another  Mission.  To  entice  an 
ordained  Native  Minister  from  one  Church,  and  re-ordain  him, 
is  an  outrage.  A  Mission-Field  must  be  compactly  occupied, 
one  Station  supporting  the  other  with  a  base,  either  on  the  Sea, 
or  on  some  firm  and  certain  post:  This  matter  should  not  be 
left  to  the  Missionaries,  but  settled  by  the  Committee,  and,  if 
they  do  not  discharge  their  duty,  the  Board  of  Missions  must 


(     254     ) 

interfere.  Such  things  in  the  Church  of  Rome  are  settled  by 
the  Propaganda.  A  larger  area  should  not  be  greedily,  and 
selfishly,  appropriated  than  can  be  actually  occupied.  Super- 
vision is  of  the  utmost  importance  for  mutual  support  and 
friendly  intercourse.  Committees  and  Secretaries  should  make 
a  closer  study  of  Geography,  Ethnology,  and  Language,  when 
they  determine  to  occupy  Regions.  Nothing  in  the  history  of 
Missions  has  been  so  foolish,  and  is  pregnant  with  such  danger, 
as  the  occupation  of  U-Ganda  by  the  Church-jMissionary-Society. 
No  wise  General  would  have  made  such  a  plunge  :  From 
Mombasa  as  a  basis,  by  gradually  advancing  posts,  the  Lake 
would  in  due  time  have  been  reached,  and  held  in  force.  Every 
element  of  danger,  as  it  is,  surrounds  that  Mission:  i.  Leaning 
absolutely  on  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh.  2.  Frightful,  even  bloody, 
discord  with  a  French  Mission.  3.  Entire  absence  of  regular 
postal  communication,  or  easy  access. 

Nothing  more  disfigures  the  Reports  issued  by  the  Societies 
than  the  attacks  on  the  Missionaries  of  the  Church  of  Rome. 
It  is  presumed,  that  the  funds  are  supplied  by  a  particular  class 
of  Protestants,  who  consider  no  Report  complete  without  an 
attack  on  Rome,  Caste,  and  the  Opium-Trade.  The  solitary 
Missionary  may  pour  his  pique  into  the  .ears  of  the  Secretary, 
but  why  does  the  Secretary  publish  it  to  the  world,  the  non- 
Christian  world  ?  *'  How  these  Christians  hate  each  other," 
must  be  the  remark  of  the  Chinese  literati,  and  the  Indian 
Collegian.  I  quote  a  few  expressions :  Church-Missionary- 
Society  Report,  1893,  P-  239: 

**  In  a  country  where  base,  worldly  Priests  have  long  ruled, 
and  where  there  is  an  absence  of  true  Christian  white  men." 
The  compiler  of  the  Report  forgets,  that  these  men  have  given 
up  home,  family,  all  for  their  Church,  while  the  writer  of 
this  attack  is  moaning  over  an  absent  wife,  covering  her  with 
fulsome  praise,  with  a  kind  of  bathos  of  weak  praise. 

**  Her  influence  for  good  seems  greater  than  mine,"  which  is 
perhaps  not  saying  much  for  the  degree  of  her  influence. 

I  quote  the  words  of  a  Ba-Suto  Chief  in  South  Africa :  a 
Church  of  England  Mission  intruded  itself  without  reason  into 
a  Region  occupied  by  French  Protestants.  The  Region  is  not 
a  large  one,  and  there  are  vast  unoccupied  Regions  without  a 
Mission,  which  were  available. 

'•At  the  outset  of  the  Mission  a  local  chief,  Moloppo, 
"  addressed  curious  words  to  the  Missionary,  *  I  am  glad  to 
*  welcome  the  Church  into  my  country.  I  have  often  heard  of 
"  the  Church  of  the  Queen,  and  now  I  am  rejoiced  to  find  that  the 
"  Baruti  [teachers]  belonging  to  it  have  come  here.  Hitherto 
**  I  have  only  seen  two  kinds  of  Christians  in  the  country,  the 
*'  Ma-Franze   [French   Protestants]    and    the    Ma-Roma    [the 


(     255     ) 

**  Romanists].  I  have  also  heard  of  the  Ma- Wesley  [Wes- 
**  leyans],  who  have  Stations  on  the  borders  of  my  country. 
**  But  I  am  now  glad  to  see  the  representatives  of  Ma-Churche 
"  at  my  house.  It  is  good  to  have  these  four  kinds  of  Chris- 
"  tians  near.  It  is  like  a  man  having  four  cows  ;  sometimes  he 
**  can  milk  them  all,  and  when  some  fail,  he  can  always  reckon 
"  on  a  supply  of  milk  from  the  others.  So  Ma-Franze,  and 
"  Ma- Wesley,  and  Ma-Churche,  and  Ma-Roma,  all  supply  us  in 
**  their  own  way  with  good  things  out  of  the  Word  of  God.'  It 
•*  is  to  be  hoped,  that  the  Ba-Suto  may  not  be  disappointed,  and 
"  that  the  spirit  of  Christian  rivalry  may  not  do  injury.  It 
**  scarcely  seems  to  have  been  necessary  for  the  Church  of 
"  England  to  have  entered,  where  two  Protestant  Missionary- 
"  Societies  were  already  engaged,  nor  in  accordance  with  the 
**  Comity  of  Protestant  Missionary-bodies." 

The  Bishop  of  Bloemfontein  urged  the  extension  of  Missions 
to  Ma-Shonaland,  but  in  the  spirit  of  a  Christian  Statesman 
argued,  that  Ma-Tab61eland  should  be  left  to  the  London- 
Missionary-Society,  who  were  already  in  evidence.  I  now  quote 
with  real  pain,  as  a  Member  of  the  Church  of  England,  the 
following:  "Archdeacon  Gaul  and  others  are  opposed  to  this 
"  abandonment  of  Ma-Tabeleland,  and  argue,  that  the  Church 
"  has  a  Mission  to  countries,  where  other  agencies  are  at  work, 
"  pointing  especially  to  the  case  of  Be-Chuanaland,  where  the 
*'  London  and  Wesleyan  Missions  have  long  had  stations,  and  yet 
**  Mr.  Bevan  has  gathered  some  600  native  Be-Chuana  commu- 
"  nicants,  and  is  carrying  on  one  of  the  most  successful  Missions 
**  of  our  Church.  He  therefore  combats  the  theory,  that  we  must 
**  leave  the  people  next  door  to  us,  and  go  after  the  Ma-Shona 
"  700  miles  further  on,  first y  at  least,  if  not  altogether.  We 
**  have  no  right  to  leave  to  any  Religious  body  the  work  we  are 
*'  commissioned  to  do,  as  Priests  and  Bishops  of  the  Catholic 
**  Churchy  No  Priest  of  the  Church  of  Rome  could  make  a 
more  audacious  non-Christian  claim.  Who  gave  the  Church  of 
England  a  monopoly  of  S.  Africa  } 

If  this  be  the  policy  in  the  green  tree,  what  is  it  in  the  dry  ? 
It  is  very  undesirable,  that  a  Missionary  Society,  which  collects 
its  funds  to  convert  the  non-Christian  world,  should  allow  its 
Agents  to  waste  their  time  in  proselytizing  the  members  of  the 
Oriental  Churches,  on  the  ground,  that  their  form  of  Christianity 
is  dead  or  imperfect.  It  is  sufficient,  that  members  of  those 
Churches  should  be  permitted  to  attend  the  Schools,  and 
Churches,  of  the  Mission,  if  they  are  so  inclined,  but  no  effort 
should  be  made  to  entice  them,  retain  them,  or,  with  rare 
exceptions,  to  employ  them.  The  appearance  of  a  renegade 
Priest  from  his  own  Church  is  not  calculated  to  advance  the 
character  of  the  Protestant  Mission,  and  it  is  probable,  that  a 


(     256     ) 

man,  who  had  been  false  to  one  Church,  would  be  false  to 
another :  the  eternal  law,  of  doing  unto  others  as  you  would 
wish  men  to  do  unto  you,  should  govern  the  action  of  Mis- 
sionaries, as  well  as  ordinary  men.  Loud  would  be  the 
complaints,  if  the  Church  of  Rome  decoyed  away  a  promising 
Protestant  Minister,  and  turned  him  into  a  Priest.  Loud  is  the 
outcry,  if  a  Romish  Priest  touches  a  Protestant  lamb.  Read 
this  from  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report,  1890:  "Mr. 
"  Owen  received  five  into  the  Congregation,  of  whom  four  were 
**  of  the  Church  of  Rome.  The  fifth  was  a  young  woman,  who 
**  was  led  to  desire  baptism  through  the  death  of  her  infant 
**  child,  who  had  been  baptized,  the  husband  being  a  Christian. 
**  She  said  *  she  wanted  to  go  to  her  little  baby,  when  she  died.'  " 

Read  the  enclosed  letter  from  a  Church-Missionary-Society- 
Missionary  in  Africa:  "I  visit  Protestants  and  members  of 
**  Church  of  Rome  alike  every  day.  The  most  important 
**  Romish  Chief  has  twice  given  me  presents.  Nineteen  men 
**  are  wanted  for  work  in  the  capital  and  in  the  surrounding 
"  countries,  or  nine  additional  to  those  already  in  the  Field  or 
"  expected.  Besides  these  there  should  be  men  in  reserve  for 
•*  emergencies.  Expenses  are  very  small.  The  type  of  the  future 
*'  Christianity  of  Central  Africa  will  largely  depend  on  the 
"  present  occupation  of  the  country  by  Church-Missionary- 
•'  Societies." 

The  white  population  of  the  Island  of  Mauritius  consists 
chiefly  of  members  of  the  Church  of  Rome  :  the  State  contributes 
towards  Education  independent  of  Religion,  as  in  British  India: 
the  contribution  is  adjusted  to  the  population-returns,  and  yet  in 
the  Report  of  the  Church-Missionary-Society  it  is  stated,  as  a 
grievance,  that  the  Church  of  Rome  receives  a  greater  grant 
than  the  Protestant :  is  it  not  so  in  Ireland  also  ?  Missionaries 
seem  to  lose  all  sense  of  common  justice  to  those,  who  differ 
from  them. 

I  quote  again  from  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report 
with  regard  to  British  India  :  "  The  Romanists  continue  to  give 
**  much  trouble  in  seeking  to  draw  away  the  Christians  from  the 
**  Protestant  fold.  One  of  their  Priests,  when  expostulated  with, 
"  could  only  reply :  '  I  have  to  obey  orders.  The  Bishop  bids 
**  me,  and  I  come.'  The  Methods  employed  are  thus  described  : 
*'  The  nuns  hold  meetings  for  women,  to  which  they  refuse 
'*  entrance  to  Miss  Parsons,  or  Mrs.  Ghose,  of  the  Church  of 
**  England  Zenana- Missionary-Society ;  the  class  is  well  supplied 
*'  with  light  refreshments,  and  aid  is  given  both  in  money  and 
**  clothes.  Women  and  children  are  received  in  the  Romish 
**  Mission-village  at  Krishnagar,  whose  husbands  cannot  or  will 
**  not  support  them  ;  girls  are  received  in  one  of  their  two  large 
*'  boarding-schools  free  of  charge,  and  after  a  scanty  education 


(     257     ) 

"  come  out,  in  many  cases  to  become  the  wives  of  our  Protes- 
**  tants,  unless  we  can  prevent  it,  bigoted  and  ignorant;  children 
**  are  received  of  tender  years,  and  put  out  to  nurse  till  old  enough 
'*  to  enter  a  school ;  the  bishop,  priests,  and  nuns,  go  to  and  fro 
"  into  our  Christian  villages.  We  have  sought  to  adopt,  and 
•*  observe  (which  is  more  difficult),  more  stringent  rules  as  to 
**  those,  who  from  time  to  time  wish  to  return  to  us,  e.g.,  we 
**  urge  the  returning  of  part  at  least  of  the  money  received  to 
**  the  Italian  priest ;  and  we  seek  to  make  exclusion  from  the 
**  Church  and  its  privileges  more  definite.  Many  have  been 
"  enticed  away.  May  I  be  forgiven  if  I  misjudge  ;  but  I  see 
"  everywhere  a  marked  moral  deterioration,  wherever  our  people 
'*  have  joined  the  Church  of  Rome." 

My  first  suggestion  is,  that  no  statements  such  as  the  above, 
with  regard  to  the  Missionaries  of  other  Churches,  be  admitted 
into  the  Report :  no  possible  good  can  come  from  publishing 
the  accounts  of  the  rents  in  the  robe  of  our  Saviour.  My  second 
is,  that  some  attempt  should  be  made  to  divide  off  Mission- 
Fields.  In  my  "Africa  Rediviva,"  1891,  I  suggested  it.  We 
have  the  shocking  fact  placed  beyond  doubt,  that  a  portion  of 
our  own  Church  of  England  considers,  that  they  have  a  right  to 
intrude  on  the  Mission-Fields  of  English  Nonconformists  :  one 
Nonconformist  denomination  openly  says,  that  the  *'  World  is 
their  Parish."  This  bad  spirit  contains  the  germ  of  Intolerance, 
which,  if  ever  the  heavy  hand  of  the  State  were  removed,  would 
blossom  into  open  Persecution,  to  the  contempt  and  derision  of 
the  non-Christian  World. 

In  the  Dominion  of  Canada  the  Romish  Missions  are  strong. 
In  the  Church-Missionary-Society- Report  complaints  are  made : 
"  Again  ascending  the  Saskatchewan  River,  Battleford  is  reached, 
*'  where  the  Rev.  R.  Inkster  is  in  charge,  residing  at  Red 
*'  Pheasants'  Reserve.  The  Romish  Priests  have  been  exceed- 
**  ingly  aggressive  in  this  district,  and  have  devoted  their  time, 
"■  Archdeacon  Mackay  says,  to  undermining  our  efforts,  with 
'*  considerable  success.  To  some  of  the  heathen  Indians  the 
"  mutually  hostile  attitude  of  the  two  Missions  is  evidently  a 
"  stumbling-block.  They  said  to  Mr.  McDonald,  '  We  do  not 
**  know  what  to  do;  the  Priest  tells  us  one  thing,  and  you  expound 
*'  another.'  Mr.  McDonald  says :  *  By  constant  prayerful  work, 
"  and  the  assistance  of  the  Divine  Helper,  in  the  month  of 
**  December  I  was  happy  to  see  a  few  more  coming  forward  for 
*'  baptism,  while  the  Romanists  were  adding  few,  if  any,  to  their 
*'  numbers.  Then  began  our  great  trouble.  The  Priest  began 
*'  holding  nightly  meetings,  and  giving  out  goods  to  these  poor 
"  ignorant  Indians,  for  the  purpose  of  gaining  their  confidence, 
"  and  undoing,  if  possible,  the  little  success,  that  God  had  given 
"  us,  till  at  last  things  looked  so  dark  in  the  Reserve  that  I  thought 

17 


(     258     ) 

"  that  we  were  going  to  lose  all.  But  good  sometimes  comes 
"  of  evil.  I  never  lost  faith  in  God,  and  by  some  means  or  other 
*'  the  minds  of  the  Indians  were  again  turned,  and  in  January, 
"  1890,  also  in  February,  a  good  many  joined  our  Church.  Yet 
"  the  Priest  kept  giving  presents  to  the  Indians,  as  it  were  buying 
*'  them  over.  Some  of  our  own  Indians  came  and  asked  me,  why  I 
*'  did  not  do  the  same.  I  told  them,  that  I  never  would  pay  a  man 
"  to  pray  to  his  God,  but,  if  they  thought  they  could  inherit  eternal 
*•  life  by  being  paid  to  worship  God,  they  had  better  try  the 
**  Romish  mode  in  this  Reserve  of  gaining  adherents.  This  had 
'*  a  good  effect ;  any  way,  they  began  to  think  for  themselves, 
**  and  I  may  safely  say,  that  our  Indians  feel,  that  it  is  for  the 
"  good  of  their  immortal  souls,  and  not  for  their  mortal  bodies.'  " 

Now  in  the  Missions  Catholiques  of  Lyons,  the  same  charge 
is  made  by  the  French  Priests  of  Rome  against  the  Protestant 
Ministers,  and  I  am  bound  to  say,  that  I  believe  neither  the 
one  nor  the  other. 

I  read  again  in  the  Church  -  Missionary- Society- Report, 
1891-92:  "To  human  judgment,  it  has  appeared  the  leading 
•*  of  a  forlorn  hope  to  get  Chipewyan  Indians,  who  are  under 
**  Romish  power  and  influence,  to  receive  or  believe  in  the 
*'  Gospel  of  Christ.  Our  Mission  is  not  especially  directed  at 
'*  them,  but  indirectly,  and  in  the  interests  of  the  diocese  and 
"  our  own  converts,  who  are  constantly  being  attacked  by 
**  Priests. 

**  I  took  advantage  of  every  opportunity  to  preach  Christ  Cru- 
"  cified,  and  explained  the  Gospel-Plan  of  Salvation  to  all,  who 
"  visited  me.  The  natives  have  been  attracted  to  our  Mission 
"  by  lantern-lectures  on  the  life  of  our  Lord.  Upon  one  occasion 
"  I  had  about  500  natives,  to  whom  I  sang  and  preached,  as  well 
"  as  I  could,  the  old,  old  story,  in  their  own  tongue.  Many 
**  left  off  going  to  confession,  and  ceased,  out  of  deep  poverty,  to 
"  pay  for  hearing  the  Mass  sung.  Some  began  to  show  signs  of 
"  doubt,  and  became  very  restless,  when  I  dealt  personally  with 
**  them  in  the  Mission-house  ;  others  went  to  their  half-breed 
**  relations  for  an  explanation  of  their  fears,  etc.,  while  some 
"  became  enquirers  after  Christ  in  a  sincere  way.  At  times  we 
"  all  felt  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  our  midst.  One  after 
"  another  went  to  the  French  Priest  with  doubts  and  fears  ;  some 
**  demanded  letters  of  assurance  from  their  Bishop  as  to  the 
**  safety  of  their  spiritual  state.  Towards  spring  of  last  year  the 
**  Indians  made  known  their  intention  of  forsaking  what  appeared 
**  to  them  the  evils  of  their  System,  among  other  things  the 
"  confessional.     This  they  actually  did." 

Hear  a  voice  from  S.  Africa:  Report  of  Free  Church  of 
Scotland,  1890:  '*  The  Trappist-invasion  with  its  170  monks 
*•  and   120  nuns   is  a  very  serious  one  for  all  the  Missions  in 


(     259     ) 

*'  Natal  and  the  Colony  at  large.  As  yet  they  have  not  inter- 
"  fered  with  our  work,  but  other  and  older  Missions  have  not 
"  been  equally  fortunate.  They  work  the  old  system  of  finding 
"  out  any  disaffected  party,  and  by  flattery  and  bribery  cajoling 
**  such  into  their  ranks.  Of  course  they  are  the  true  Church  ; 
*'  there  is  safety  alone  in  them  !  Their  wealth  seems  inexhaust- 
•*  ible,  and  they  already  own  an  estate  in  Natal  of  20,000  acres, 
*'  and  another  in  Griqualand  of  50,000  acres  ;  and  current  report 
"  credits  them  with  being  constantly  on  the  hunt  for  more. 
•'  They  are  opening  cheap  boarding  and  other  schools,  and  in 
*'  Pretoria  they  collect  the  children  to  their  schools  morning  by 
**  morning  in  carriages  sent  round  to  their  homes,  redelivering 
"  them  in  the  afternoons."  The  Abbot  applied  to  the  Govern- 
ment of  this  Colony  for  an  annual  grant  of  /^5oo  to  the 
support  of  his  educational,  and  industrial,  schools  at  Marion 
Hill-Monastery. 

The  Church-Missionary-Society-Report  tells  us  the  following 
from  Japan  :  "  The  Nagasaki  Congregation,  which  consists  of 
**  seventy-four  baptized  members  and  eight  catechumens,  was 
"  tried  by  the  loss  of  five  hopeful  young  men,  who  separated 
**  from  it  during  the  year.  Two  of  them  were  drawn  in  the 
**  direction  of  Rome  by  the  influence  of  a  former  catechist. 
"  This  man  had  been  received  into  the  Romish  Communion, 
*'  but  had  kept  the  fact  secret  from  the  Rev.  A.  R.  Fuller,  who 
"  only  learned  it  through  a  message  brought  to  him  from  the 
"  man's  death-bed  by  a  Romish  Priest.  One  of  the  two,  whom 
**  he  influenced,  a  schoolmaster,  was  baptized  in  the  Church  of 
"  Rome ;  the  other,  a  medical  student,  after  studying  the 
'*  Romish  system,  left  the  Protestant  Communion." 

Twenty  years  hence  the  strain  will  be  much  greater  :  The  Mis- 
sionary-spirit of  the  Nineteenth  Century  has  set  a  stream  flowing, 
which  can  no  longer  be  controlled.  The  Church  of  Rome,  and 
Protestantism,  have  the  Divinity  of  Christ,  and  His  Atonement, 
in  common  :  in  the  war  with  those,  who  reduce  Christ  to  the 
position  of  Socrates  or  Buddha,  or  set  him  altogether  on  one 
side,  it  would  seem  to  be  wise  on  the  part  of  those,  who  hold 
the  great  central  Truths,  to  agree  to  a  certain  intra- Mission 
Comity,  so  far  as  to  set  apart  Regions,  as  has  in  fact  been  settled 
in  U-Ganda  by  the  Civil  Authorities. 

Whether  this  can  be  secured,  as  a  lasting  arrangement,  is 
doubtful.  The  arrogant  ideas  of  the  Englishman  is  illustrated 
by  the  annexed  letter  to  the  Record,  1894:  *'  It  is  impossible  to 
"  read  Captain  Lugard's  Book  without  being  deeply  impressed 
"  with  the  hopelessness  of  settled  peace,  and  good  government, 
"  while  these  men  (the  French  Priests)  are  allowed  the  free 
*'  hand,  which  they  have  had  in  the  past. 

**  Much  allowance  must  be  made  for  the  extreme  difficulty  of 


(     260     ) 

"  Captain  Lugard's  position  while  in  U-Ganda,  yet,  from  his  own 
*'  showing,  it  is  clear,  that  he  was  completely  outmanoeuvred  by 
*'  the  subtle  Priests,  with  whom  he  had  to  deal. 

"  The  role  of  *  Mgr.'  was  simple  and  easy,  always  to  adopt 
"  an  attitude  of  being  wronged,  and  of  receiving  less  than  what 
**  was  due,  and  to  back  this  up  with  indirect  menaces,  the 
**  Romish  native  faction  playing  very  much  the  part  of  the  secret- 
*'  societies  in  Ireland.  The  result  was,  unfortunately,  attended 
**  with  far  too  much  success.  It  is  consistent  with  the  same 
**  policy,  that  the  preposterous  claims  for  compensation  are  now 
"  being  made  for  losses  sustained  in  the  onslaught  made  on  the 
"  Protestants,  connived  at,  if  not  directly  instigated,  by  the 
'*  Priests  themselves. 

*'  It  is  earnestly  to  be  hoped,  that  whoever  is  appointed 
**  Commissioner  will  at  once  and  for  ever  abandon  the  weak 
*'  and  disastrous  policy  of  perpetually  trying  to  conciliate  these 
**  men.  What  is  needed  is  that  firm  and  just  government,  which, 
**  it  may  be  confidently  asserted,  is  the  invariable  characteristic 
**  of  a  proper  English  Administration." 

Here  it  is  clear,  that  the  domineering  Protestant  Englishman 
is  to  have  his  way  in  a  British  Protectorate ;  the  Wa-Ganda  are 
to  be  taught  who  is  Master :  Rome  or  Canterbury  ?  London  or 
Paris  ?  I3ut  supposing,  that  the  Romish  Missionaries  had  been 
from  Cardinal  Vaughan's  English  Mission  from  Mill  Hill, 
Hampstead,  and  the  Protestant  Missionaries  had  been  from  the 
Missions  Evangeliques  of  Paris,  what  then  ?  Would  Cardinal 
Vaughan  be  allowed  to  assert,  that  his  English  Mission  is  the 
Master,  and  the  French  Protestants  only  there  by  sufferance  ? 
Does  the  correspondent  of  the  Record  write  as  a  Protestant, 
hating  the  Church  of  Rome,  or  as  an  Englishman,  hating  the 
French  ?  which  thought  is  uppermost  }  Let  him  know,  that 
the  British  Government  is  above  all  Religious  partialities,  and 
prejudices :  as  in  British  India,  so  in  British  Equatorial  Africa, 
the  Protestant,  and  the  Pagan,  the  Romish  Priest,  and  the 
Mahometan,  are  on  an  equality,  as  subjects  of  the  Queen 
Empress,  and  must  keep  the  Peace,  or  a  heavy  hand  will  fall  on 
them  without  benefit  of  Clergy.  Under  this  firm,  strong  Rule 
British  India  has  become  the  greatest  Field  of  Missions,  that 
the  World  ever  knew. 

1 8.   Ridiculing  and  Speaking  III  of  non-Christian 
Religions. 

Still  more  reprehensible  is  the  practice  of  the  Missionary  insult- 
ing the  Religious  Convictions  of  his  audience.  How  different  was 
the  tone  adopted  by  Paul  in  his  address  on  IVIars  Hill  at  Athens  ! 
I  rejoice  to  say,  that  this  error  is  diminishing,  and  in  some  Fields 


(     261     ) 

it  never  existed.     Hear  the  repentant  words  of  an  old  Missionary, 

a  true  servant  of  God  :   "  It  was  inwardly  manifest  to  me,  that 

'  for  some  time  past  I  have  attacked  the  heathen  customs,  and 

*  superstitions,  of  the  Wa-Nika  too  fiercely,  the  sight  of  the 
'  abominations  moving  me  to  indignation,  and  I  feel  now,  that  I 
'  ought  to  preach  more  the  love  of  the  Redeemer  for  His  sheep, 

*  lost,  or  gone  astray,  or  taken  captive  by  Satan.  I  must  show 
'  more  compassion,  and   my  words  must  be  more  filled  with 

*  pity.  It  is  not  the  gifts,  nor  the  works,  nor  the  words,  nor 
'  the  prayers,  that  convert,  but  the  Lord  Jesus  only." 

Hear  the  evidence  of  another  old  Missionary  in  India:    "I 

*  confess,  that  in  the  beginning  of  my  work  I  thought,  that  the 
'  exhibition  of  Gospel-Truths  was  sufficient  to  make  an  im- 
'  pression  on  the  native  mind,  and  hence,  when  anything  like 

*  Hindu  doctrine  was  brought  before  me  in  conversation  with 

*  the  natives,  through  an  ill-directed  zeal  I  was  peremptory  in 
'  condemning  the  whole  without  discrimination  :    this  was  an 

*  error :  by  such  zeal  we  do,  I  am  persuaded,  more  harm  than 
'  good.  Asiatics  will  not  be  prepared  to  receive  the  Truth  from 
'  anyone,    who  haughtily   and  peremptorily  cries  down  every- 

*  thing  in  their  books,  and  so  long  as  we  show,  that  we  are 
'  ignorant  of  their  literature,  they  mistrust  the  correctness  of 

*  our  doctrine." 

Besides,  in  all  Religions  there  is  a  substratum  of  Truth :  why 
knock  your  head  against  adamantine  Truth  ?  Go  back  with 
them  to  the  basis  of  their  convictions,  until  common  ground  is 
reached.  Few  will  deny  the  existence  of  God,  the  immortality 
of  the  Soul,  and  the  future  Judgment ;  all  will  admit,  that  Sin 
exists  in  the  world  :  bring  these  truths  home,  and  show  them 
the  better  way. 

The  ignorant  Missionary  allows  himself  to  heap  unlimited 
abuse  on  the  Sacred  Books  of  other  Religions,  of  which  he 
knows  nothing :  this  is  injudicious :  the  hearers  know  well 
enough,  that  he  is  ignorant.  The  learned  Missionary  should 
avoid  the  opposite  error:  he  should  render  all  due  praise  to  the 
noble  sentiments,  and  conceptions,  of  the  non-Christian  Philo- 
sopher, but  never  for  one  moment  concede,  that  he  is  inspired, 
or  divine,  or  that  his  words  are  good  for  Salvation  of  men 
hereafter,  though  good  for  morals,  and  often  elevating.  None 
of  them  rise  higher  than  Socrates.  And  he  should  be  cautious 
in  selecting  passages  of  unequal  value,  and  thoroughly  bad  in 
morals,  from  their  Sacred  Books  :  the  scoffer  might  retort  in  a 
manner,  painful  to  a  Christian,  by  misquoting  the  Bible. 

It  is  a  low  taste  to  exhibit  the  idols  of  the  Pagan,  and  the 
statues  of  Buddha,  to  the  scoffings  of  uneducated  men,  and  the 
laughter  of  children :  we  do  not  so  treat  the  remains  of  the 
beautiful  ideals  of  Greek  and  Roman  worship :  but  both  the  one 


(     262     ) 

and  the  other  teach  us,  how  man  in  his  unconverted  state  feels 
after  God,  and  of  the  danger  of  committing  spiritual  beliefs  to 
material  forms.  When  a  new  irruption  of  Goths  destroys  London 
and  St.  Paul's,  the  Reredos  will  be  destroyed,  but  the  Gospel- 
Truth  will  survive  all  earthly  changes. 

A  Religious  Paper  tells  us,  how  a  returned  Missionary  on 
deputation  raised  a  smile  on  the  faces  of  some  foolish  persons 
in  May,  1894.  "  He  described  what  he  had  seen  of  Heathenism 
"  at  Agra  and  Banaras.  His  racy  descriptions  of  the  worship 
**  of  the  household-god,  when  a  little  bell  was  rung  to  wake 
''  him,  produced  some  smiles^  but, the  whole  story  was  inex- 
**  pressibly  sad."  Are  bells  never  rang  at  the  beginning,  and 
during  the  conducting,  of  Divine  Worship.?  The  Household- 
Deity  represents  to  the  Hindu  the  emblem  and  idea  of  Purity 
and  Holiness,  which  is  found  wanting  in  many  a  so-called 
Christian  Household,  unsanctified  by  daily  Family  or  Private 
Prayer,  or  Reading  of  the  Bible.  In  fact,  in  many  Christian 
Households  the  very  idea,  as  well  as  the  worship,  of  God  has 
ceased  to  exist.  This  is  a  thought  still  sadder  than  the  story 
told  above. 

I  quote  from  the  **  Missionary  Manual "  already  alluded  to  : 
"  Expose  the  errors  of  Hinduism,  and  Islam,  certainly  by  a 
"  full  exposition  of  the  truths  of  Christianity,  rather  than  by  a 
"  violent  Crusade  on  non-Christian  Beliefs  :  who  is  the  fanatic 
'*  then  ?  Everything  insulting  should  be  avoided.  Speak  the 
"  truth  in  Love  :  the  surest  way  to  bring  a  man  to  acknowledge 
"  his  errors  is  to  give  him  full  credit  for  as  much  as  he  has 
*'  discovered  of  the  Truth.  Whatever  is  a  portion  of  adaman- 
"  tine  Truth  in  any  non-Christian  conception  will  only  baffle 
'*  our  efforts,  if  in  ignorant  un-Christian  impatience  we  attempt 
"  to  sweep  it  away  with  the  rubbish,  which  has  enveloped  it;  if 
*'  you  treat  with  scorn  what  is  true  in  the  doctrines,  which  you 
"  attack,  you  must  not  complain,  if  your  argument  against  what 
*'  is  false  in  their  doctrine  is  as  highly  esteemed  as  your  scorn  of 
*'  what  is  true.  We  ought  gratefully  to  acknowledge  all  that 
**  is  excellent,  as  we  welcome  a  spot  of  verdure  in  the  Desert. 
*'  Our  knowledge  is  not  a  contradiction  of  what  is  false  in  other 
*'  conceptions  so  much  as  a  legitimate  development  of  what  is 
"  true."     God  has  not  left  Himself  without  a  witness. 

The  very  circumstance,  that  the  Almighty  has  allowed  these 
Systems  to  survive  the  break-up  of  Empires,  and  the  lapse  of  so 
many  Centuries,  when  with  one  breath  of  His  anger  He  could 
have  destroyed  them,  and  wiped  them  out,  is  a  lesson  to  us, 
that  we  must  not  in  our  ignorance  be  less  merciful  than  God. 

Hear  what  Dr.  Benson,  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  said  at 
the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel :  *'  What  I  think  is 
*'  absolutely  necessary  to  further  progress,  and  of  immense  im- 


(     263     ) 

portance  is  the  forming  a  really  clear  idea  of  the  theory  of 
Missions.  Missionaries  themselves  work  isolatedly  under- 
ground, often  in  the  dark,  by  constant,  steady,  and  very  lonely 
work  aiming  at,  and  often  in  the  end  effecting,  what  seemed 
to  be  impossible  for  individuals  to  accomplish.  But  a  great 
Church  has  to  take  a  wide  view  of  all  Missionary-operations 
everywhere,  and  of  the  principles,  on  which  they  are  con- 
ducted. It  has  to  recognise  honestly,  that  there  have  been 
mistakes  in  the  past,  and  that  there  may  be  mistakes  going  on 
now.  We  ought  to  pass  out  of  our  mistakes,  as  fast  as  we 
can,  sailing  henceforth  by  a  great  Chart,  which,  I  am  afraid, 
has  to  a  great  extent  to  be  laid  down.  The  work  of  the  future 
should  be  no  more  tentative  or  experimental,  as  it  has  been  in 
the  past.  We  have  now  an  immense  mass  of  facts  before  us, 
and  like  all  students  in  science,  or  like  politicians,  we  must 
study  our  policy,  we  must  take  a  survey  of  the  facts,  and  we 
must,  with  all  the  power  of  mind,  that  we  can  command,  as 
well  as  with  all  the  earnestness  of  spirit,  clearly  lay  down 
what  are  the  best  lines,  on  which  Mission-work  is  to  be  pur- 
sued. There  are  one  or  two  things,  which  are  becoming  very 
plain  to  observers,  which  were  by  no  means  obvious  in  the 
past.  It  really  did  commend  itself  to  many  great  Missionaries 
in  the  past,  that  the  best  Field  for  working  in  was  the  Field  of 
the  unsophisticated,  the  simple,  and  the  ignorant,  and  no 
doubt  there  is  beautiful  work,  with  beautiful  results,  to  be  done 
among  them ;  but  I  believe,  that  is  not  our  theory  now.  We 
have  perceived,  that  the  reflective  mind  stored  with  knowledge 
is  in  the  Heathen  a  better  Field  for  the  work  of  Christ  than 
vacancy  and  ignorance.  The  greatest  works  in  the  past  have 
been  done  on  that  principle.  The  Gospel  itself  recognises 
the  fact,  because  it  came  in  the  Fulness  of  Time.  It  came, 
when  the  human  intellect  had  attained  the  highest  point,  to 
which  it  has  ever  attained.  For  originality  of  conception,  for 
keenness  of  investigation,  the  old  philosophies,  even  if  they 
have  rivals  in  modern  times,  have  not  been  surpassed." 
His  Grace  here  lays  down  a  great  Truth,  which  the  young 
Missionary,  or  the  isolated  Missionary,  who  have  not  dipped 
into  the  history  of  the  past,  have  not  arrived  at :  the  danger 
of  a  vacuum  of  the  Religious  Conception.  Oh  !  that  they  would 
recollect  what  happened  to  the  soul,  that  was  swept  and  gar- 
nished, after  the  departure  of  the  evil  spirit. 

*'  It  is  not  so  many  years,  that  it  has  been  borne  in  upon  us, 
*'  that  a  Religious  tone  of  mind  though  heathen  is  a  better  Field 
"  for  Christian  effort  than  a  non-Religious  tone  of  mind.  We 
**  are  beginning  to  perceive,  that  in  those  regions,  where  our  race, 
**  where  Europeans,  are  destroying  belief  in  the  old  Religions, 
**  if  they  have  not  the  Religion  of  Christ  at  hand  immediately  to 


(     264     ) 

*'  substitute,  they  are  doing  more  harm  to  Religion  than  good. 
*•  It  is  not  true,  that  the  mind  from  which  every  possible  Super- 
*'  stition  has  been  banished,  until  it  becomes  a  tabula  rasa,  is  in 
"  a  better  state  of  receptivity  for  the  Truths  we  have  in  hand 
*'  than  the  mind,  which  still  retains  its  Religious  tone,  even 
"  though  it  is  associated  with  the  most  corrupt  Religion  in  the 
"  world,  even  though  the  modes  and  shapes,  under  which  it  lives, 
*'  are  untruthful,  and  in  some  cases  even  injurious.  Any  Religious 
*'  tone  is  the  upgrowth  of  many  generations.  The  Religious 
"  tone  in  any  Nation  has  been  gradually  formed  in  it,  and  for 
"  any  generation,  that  we  may  be  dealing  with,  it  is  the  offspring 
"  of  the  teaching  of  old  traditions  conveyed  by  teaching,  and 
"  by  early  habits  formed.  I  fear,  that  if  we  have  one  single 
'*  generation  intervening,  which  has  no  Religious  habits,  no 
"  thought  beyond  the  grave,  no  tone  which  makes  it  perpetually 
**  look  up  to  that  which  is  beyond  it,  and  above  it,  we  shall  find 
**  it  a  harder  task  to  convert  the  children  of  that  generation  than 
"  to  convert  the  polished  Heathen,  however  firmly  they  hold  to 
**  their  old  Faith.  No  one  can  go  into  a  Mahometan  place 
"  of  worship  without  being  struck  by  the  evidence  of  sincerity, 
*•  gravity,  absorbedness,  and  solemnity,  in  the  worshippers.  We 
**  must  not  approach  them,  as  if  they  knew  that  they  were 
**  themselves  deficient,  and  that  it  was  only  pride,  and  obstinacy, 
**  that  prevented  them  from  listening  to  us.  We  must  go  to 
*'  them  acknowledging,  that  God  has  brought  them  a  long  way 
"  on  the  road  to  Him.  We  must  take  them  up  where  they  are, 
**  and  remember,  that  they  do  not  look  upon  themselves  as 
**  behind  Europeans,  or  the  English  Nation.  They  look  upon 
"  their  Sacred  Book  as  an  advance  on  Christianity,  and,  until  we 
"  are  able  to  meet  them  on  their  own  ground,  until  we  have 
•*  thoroughly  mastered  theirs,  until  we  know  exactly,  what  their 
**  position  has  been  in  the  formation  of  character  and  thought, 
**  unless  we  recognise  the  deep-spring  of  the  devotion,  which 
"  they  exhibit,  unless  we  are  prepared  to  find  the  formation  of 
**  noble  characters  in  their  midst,  we  shall  have  no  chance  in 
*'  dealing  with  a  Religion  like  Mahometanism.  It  is  a  Religion, 
•*  which  requires  to  be  thoroughly  understood,  and  deeply 
"  mastered." 

Hear  what  Bishop  Bickersteith  of  Japan  says,  1883:  "The 
**  Mahometans  denounce  Christianity  to  their  own  people,  who 
"  are  ignorant:  they  are  stigmatized  as  'fanatic'  and  'bigoted'  by 
"  Christians,  who  call  themselves  large-minded,  and  still  follow 
'*  the  mean  example  "  :  of  what  use  is  knowledge,  if  the  weapon 
used  is  abuse  ?  where  are  the  precepts  of  Christ,  if  Love  be  laid 
aside  ?  "  The  Missionary  should  try  to  appreciate  the  difficulties 
"  felt  by  Mahometans,  and  off'er  carefully-considered  answers  to 
**  their   questions.     The    Gospel  should  be  placed    before   the 


(     265     ) 

"  Mahometan  in  the  way,  in  which  its  own  Truth  may  best  link 
**  themselves  on  to  the  Truths  already  held  by  the  Mahometan, 
**  and  offer  the  fewest  difficulties  to  their  critical  and  inquiring 
**  minds." 

His  colleague,  Mr.  Lefroy,  of  Dehli,  in  1894,  remarks,  that 
**  Christian  Missionaries  must  recognise  the  good  in  non- 
**  Christian  Systems  more  fully  than  they  have  done :  it  is  a 
**  lesson,  which  we  must  lay  to  heart,  and  this  may  be  done 
"  without  ignoring  the  errors  inherent  in  their  System.  Paul 
"  never  abused  other  Religions  in  the  presence  of  their  followers, 
"  but  rather  laid  hold  on  all,  that  was  in  them  to  suggest,  and 
"  justify,  his  own  teaching.  In  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans  he 
*'  points  out  the  corruption  of  the  Greek  and  Roman  Systems." 

Hear  what  Archbishop  Trench  says  in  his  Hulsean  lecture, 
1845  :  *' We  address  ourselves  in  a  slight  and  inefficient  manner 
**  to  our  work,  when,  without  discrimmation,  without  acquaint- 
**  ance  with  those  Systems,  which  hold  souls  in  bondage,  which 
**  hinder  them  from  coming  to  the  Light  of  Life,  we  have  but  one 
**  Method  with  them  all,  one  language,  in  which  to  describe  them 
"  all,  one  common  charge  of  belonging  to  the  devil,  upon  which 
"  to  arraign  them  all ;  instead  of  recognising,  that  each  province 
*'  of  the  dark  kingdom  of  Error  is  different  from  every  other ; 
**  instead  of  seeing  that  it  is  not  a  lie,  which  can  ever  make 
**  anything  strong,  that  it  is  not  certainly  their  lie,  which  has 
**  made  them  strong,  and  enabled  them  to  stand  their  ground  so 
**  long,  and  some  of  them,  saddest  of  all  !  to  win  ground  from 
*'  Christendom ;  but  the  Truth,  which  that  lie  caricatures  and 
"  perverts. 

"  Nor  would  I  leave  unuttered  my  conviction,  that  any  other 
**  dealing  with  them  than  this,  which,  even  while  it  wars  against 
"  them,  welcomes  and  honours  the  residue  of  Truth,  which  they 
**  still  may  retain,  any  ruder  and  less  descriminating  assault  on 
*'  that,  which  multitudes  have  hitherto  believed,  and  which 
"  however  mingled  with  falsehood  and  fraud,  has  been  all, 
"  whereby  they  have  holden  on  to  a  higher  world,  may,  even 
*'  when  it  seems  most  successful,  be  full  of  peril  for  them,  whom 
*'  thus  coarsely  we  seek  to  benefit,  and  with  unskilful  hands  to 
*'  deliver.  For,  indeed,  there  is  no  office  more  delicate,  no  task 
"  needing  greater  wisdom,  and  patience,  and  love,  than  to  set  men 
*'  free  from  their  Superstitions,  and  yet  not  with  this  to  lay  waste 
**  the  very  soil,  in  which  the  Truth  should  strike  its  roots,  to 
**  disentangle  the  tree  from  the  ivy,  that  was  strangling  it,  without, 
**  in  the  process  and  together  with  the  strangling  ivy,  destroying 
•*  also  the  very  life  of  the  tree  itself,  which  we  proposed  to  save. 
**  It  may  be,  that  we  have  not  brought  them  even  into  the  vesti- 
**  bule  of  the  Faith,  may  have  rather  set  them  at  a  remoter 
"  distance   from  it  than  ever.     To  have  taught  them  to  pour 


(     266     ) 

"  contempt  on  all,  with  which  hitherto  they  have  linked  feelings 
"  of  sacredness  and  awe,  may  prove  but  a  questionable  prepara- 
**  tion  for  making  them  humble  and  reverent  scholars  of  Christ. 
**  Wiser  surely  was  Paul's  Method,  who  ever  sought  a  ground 
**  common  to  himself  and  those,  whom  he  would  persuade,  though 
"  it  were  but  an  handbreadth,  upon  which  to  take  his  stand,  who 
**  taught  men  to  deal  reverently  with  their  past  selves,  and  their 
"  past  beliefs,  who  to  the  Athenians  said,  *  Whom  therefore  ye 
*'  ignorantly  worship.  Him  declare  I  unto  you,'  and  spake  of  the 
"  Cretan  poet  as  *  a  prophet  of  their  own '  ;  readopting  into  the 
"  family  of  the  Truth  its  lost  and  wandering  children,  however 
*'  they  might  have  forgotten  their  true  descent,  in  whatever  far 
"  land,  and  under  whatever  unlikely  disguises,  he  found  them." 

We  are  dealing  with  a  well-known  subject :  the  Queen  has 
fifty  Millions  of  Mahometan  subjects,  hundreds  of  them  wise, 
estimable,  distinguished ;  thousands  brave,  clever,  and  in- 
dustrious ;  all  peaceful  subjects  ;  yet  I  quote  these  shameful 
expressions  under  date,  December,  1892,  from  N.  Africa:  I 
have  traversed  Morocco,  Algeria,  Tunisia,  Egypt,  Syria,  Trans- 
caucasia, and  know  so  far  the  Mahometans  there :  as  to  the 
people  of  India,  my  table-servants,  my  cook,  my  messengers, 
my  grooms,  my  writers,  my  friends  and  councillors,  were,  to  a 
considerable  extent,  Mahometans. 

Their  Religious  Conception  is  called  **a  thraldom,  fanaticism, 
*'  arranged  with  wonderful  Satanic  skill,  first  to  ensnare,  then  to 
"  prevent  rescue :  the  Missionaries  are  described  as  wrestling 
"  against  rulers  of  the  darkness  of  this  world,  even  wicked 
*'  spirits  in  heavenly  places.  Mahometanism  is  a  mighty  System, 
•*  invented  by  the  Devil  to  counterfeit  the  Gospel,  a  masterpiece 
*'  of  Satanic  ingenuity,  resembling  in  many  points  other  works  of 
•*  Satan,  such  as  Romanism.  Satan  forged  these  great  Systems 
"  of  lies,  and,  when  they  get  broken  by  the  hammer  of  Truth, 
**  he  will  be  ready  to  weld  them  together  again  :  the  love  of 
**  sinful  ways,  and  the  fear  of  Persecution  and  death  frightens 
**  converts." 

Now  why  does  the  writer  bring  in  Satan  at  all  }  Does  he  not 
see,  that  so  gigantic  and  modern  a  System  as  Islam  cannot  have 
come  into  existence  without  God's  knowledge  and  permission  } 
Can  the  Ruler  of  the  world  do  wrong  ?  Do  not  Christians  live 
sinful  ways  also  }  Have  not  all  such  utterances  a  sad  lack  of 
reality.^     Is  it  not  the  fool,  that  hath  said  all  this  in  his  heart  ? 

Here  what  another  fanatic  from  the  Mission-Field  says  as 
regards  India:  "Where  Mahometanism  holds  the  people  in  its 
**  thraldom,  it  stands  forth  apparently  immovable  and  impreg- 
*'  nable  with  all  the  features  of  pride,  and  lust,  and  cruelty,  which 
**  have  ever  characterized  it.  When  in  the  providence  of  God 
*'  its  time  shall  come,  and  Islam  shall  bow  its  head  beneath  the 


(     267     ) 

**  yoke  of  the  Cross,  none  can  tell ;  that  the  day  may  be  hastened 
"  must  be  our  prayer,  while  our  labours  are  not  relaxed." 

Pride !  is  there  no  wicked  Pride  in  Christian  England,  and 
wherever  the  heart  of  man  is  unconverted  ?  Lust !  How  about 
the  streets  of  London  and  Paris,  and  the  Annals  of  the  Divorce- 
Court  ?  Where  Polygamy  prevails  among  Hindus,  it  is  nearly 
always  the  result  of  infant-marriages,  and  no  lust  exists  there. 
And  as  regards  Mahometan  Polygamy,  under  the  laws  of  the 
Koran  the  rights  of  the  woman  are  protected :  how  about 
Christian  Profligacy  ?  Cruelty !  How  about  Ma-Tabeleland, 
where  poor  Africans  are  killed  for  the  sake  of  gold-dust,  and  to 
make  commercial  Companies  pay  ?     Let  us  look  at  home. 

Hear  what  Mr.  George  Curzon,  M.P.,  says  as  regards  to 
China:  "With  rare  exceptions,  more  liberal-minded  than  their 
"  fellows,  the  Missionaries  adopt  an  attitude  of  implacable 
**  hostility  to  all  native  Religions  and  Ethics,  ignoring  alike  their 
**  virtuous  aspects  and  influence,  the  all-powerful  hold,  which 
•'  they  have  acquired  upon  Chinese  character,  and  the  sanction, 
"  lent  to  them  by  a  venerable  antiquity.  Particularly  is  this  the 
"  case  with  regard  to  ancestral  worship,  with  which  they  decline 
"  all  parley;  although  a  rare  retort  would  appear  to  be  open  to 
''  a  Chinaman  in  England,  who  accidentally  found  his  way  into 
**  Westminster  Abbey.  Such  iconoclasm,  in  the  eyes  of  many 
"  critics,  could  only,  even  if  successful,  lead  to  two  results,  both 
**  equally  to  be  deplored  :  the  complete  disintegration  of  the 
*'  Chinese  social  fabric,  and  the  collapse  of  Chinese  morality." 

Hear  the  words  of  a  writer  in  the  Quarterly  Review,  1894: 
**  In  the  present  critical  position  of  Indian  thought  it  is  of  the 
"  utmost  importance,  that  the  Missionary  should  have  mastered 
"■  the  Religious  Systems  prevalent  in  India,  and  should  have 
**  made  personal  investigation  into  their  creeds,  and  their 
**  practices,  in  their  own  homes.  He  should  be  able  to  under- 
'*  stand,  and  sympathize  with,  the  Oriental  mind,  to  examine  the 
•*  Hindu  Sacred  Writings  from  their  own  point  of  view,  to 
*'  acknowledge  whatever  of  Truth  is  contained  in  them." 

At  the  Victoria-Institute,  London,  1894,  was  read  a  paper 
by  a  late  Surgeon-General  in  China,  in  the  presence  of  a  late 
Minister-Plenipotentiary,  and  now  Professor  of  the  Languages 
of  China  at  Cambridge,  on  '*  Present-day  Chinese  Ethics,  and 
Philosophy."  The  paper  was  replete  with  hints  for  the  Mis- 
sionary, and  Dr.  Gordon  pointed  out  the  need  for  care  on  their 
part  to  respect  the  feelings  of  a  people  with  so  ancient  a 
Civilization.  Amongst  other  points  he  showed,  that  the  late 
massacres  of  Romish  priests  and  nuns  was  caused  by  their  own 
action  in  depriving  parents  of  the  children,  whom  they  had 
undertaken  to  educate.  The  discussion  on  the  paper  was 
mainly   occupied   by   Sir   Thomas    Wade,    giving   a   long   and 


(     268     ) 

careful  analysis  of  the  present  position  of  China,  and  the  best 
way,  in  which  European  Civilization  may  be  presented  to  her 
people.  In  doing  so,  he  said  that  some  old  views  as  regards 
her  Customs  were  false ;  for  instance,  we  were  under  a  mis- 
apprehension in  our  idea  of  the  Chinese  Ancestral  Worship ; 
it  was  really  confined  to  an  annual  service  commemorative  of 
the  departed  and  their  virtues,  and  answered  to  the  memorial 
services,  which  have  been  held  of  late  years  in  England,  and  on 
that  occasion  the  Chinese  graves  were  decked  with  flowers. 

How  is  it  ?  An  imperfectly-armed  gladiator,  with  the  narrowest 
views  of  the  great  combat,  an  entire  contempt  for  the  Faith,  held 
by  Millions  for  Centuries,  a  jaunty  confidence  in  the  little  knap- 
sack of  Christian  Theology,  and  Ecclesiastical  History,  which  he 
has  crammed  at  his  Seminary,  and  an  entire  ignorance  of  the 
great  Truths,  which  underlie  the  intellectual  and  spiritual  struc- 
ture of  man,  shouts  out,  as  the  Ephesians  did  of  old, 

"  Kingdom  of  Satan  ;  Works  of  the  Devil." 

Damnat  quod  non  intelligit.  Instead  of  placing  his  foot  on 
the  adamantine  Truth,  which  is  the  basis  of  all  Religious 
Conceptions :  the  existence,  power,  wisdom,  and  goodness,  of 
one  only  God  of  all  the  World,  and  the  Brotherhood  of  Man- 
kind, the  certainty  of  a  Day  of  Judgment,  and  the  pressing 
need  of  a  Saviour  and  a  Comforter,  he  goes  off  into  empty 
abuse,  ritual  observances,  or  denominational  shibboleths. 

Sometimes  a  preacher,  who  has  never  left  England,  and  knows 
nothing  of  any  country  or  race,  indulges  in  such  platitudes  to 
Home-congregations  as  the  following:  "The  World  is  weary 
**  of  Natural  Religion,  Christianity  without  Christ;  it  is  weary  of 
**  the  Religion  of  Humanity,  for  what  cannot  claim  reverence 
"  cannot  command  conscience ;  it  is  weary  of  Confucianism, 
**  the  despotism  of  the  dead  and  bondage  of  the  living ;  it  is 
"  weary  of  Brahmanism,  which  is  the  bane  of  brotherhood  ;  it 
"  is  weary  of  Buddhism,  morality  without  God ;  it  is  weary  of 
"  Islam,  God  without  morality." 

There  appears  to  me  to  be  a  deviation  from  truth  in  every 
line  of  the  above.  We  could  wish,  that  the  unconverted  world 
were  weary  of  their  ancestral  forms  of  Belief,  but  not  one  of 
them  would  recognise  their  own  form  of  worship  in  the  above 
sententious  apothegm,  which  is  either  unintelligible,  or  false. 

The  very  use  of  the  terms  "  false  gods"  and  "  false  prophets  " 
is  a  mistake :  there  cannot  be  a  false  god,  for  there  is  only  one 
possible  God  in  the  world,  and  the  holy  word  should  never  be 
used  otherwise.  The  Jews  in  their  early  Centuries  may  have 
been  "Enotheists,"  or  **  Monolatrists,"  admitting  the  existence 
of  other  divinities  in  other  lands,  though  cleaving  to  their  own. 


(     269     ) 

We  have  passed  that  stage,  and  are  Monotheists.  As  regards 
"  false  prophets"  it  is  not  admitted,  that  Mahomet  was  a 
prophet  at  all :  why  call  him  a  false  one,  as  a  term  of  abuse  ? 
Judging  of  the  greatness  of  men  by  the  consequences  of  their 
having  existed,  it  cannot  be  denied,  that  he  was  the  greatest  in 
the  Christian  era,  and  that  the  Almighty  permitted  his  Doctrines 
to  spread  far  beyond  the  limits  of  his  wildest  hopes.  As  regards 
the  Brahmanical  Conception,  as  it  was  in  the  time  of  Moses, 
so  it  is  now,  with  two  hundred  Million  believers ;  with  no 
desire  for  Propagandism,  yet  absorbing  annual  thousands,  and 
at  all  periods  of  its  existence  absolutely  tolerant  of  other 
Religious  Conceptions,  or  of  variations  of  its  own  :  the  Buddhist 
Conception  is  the  earliest  universal  Propagandist  of  the  world, 
and  with  the  greatest  number  of  nominal  adherents.  Other 
Religious  Conceptions  are  as  purely  National,  as  the  Languages, 
which  they  speak:  of  the  population  of  the  world  a  large 
portion  is  non-Christian.  Are  we  to  believe  in  this  Nineteenth 
Century,  that  the  Great  God,  who  made  all  things,  and  hates 
nothing  that  He  has  made,  has  since  the  days  of  Creation 
allowed  these  untold  Millions  to  pass  from  the  Cradle  to  the 
Grave,  there  to  find  everlasting  torment,  because  the  pious  and 
benevolent  people  of  Europe  and  N.  America  never  thoroughly 
conceived  and  carried  out  the  idea  of  Systematic  Evangelization 
until  this  Century  ?  It  is  in  vain  to  speculate  on  the  plans  of 
the  Almighty :  the  matter  is  too  high  for  us.  Can  the  Ruler  of 
the  Universe  do  wrong  ?  Had  it  been  His  pleasure,  He  could 
have  sent  Prophets,  and  Evangelists,  to  every  quarter  of  the  great 
round  World,  instead  of  restricting  them  to  the  tiny  province 
of  Judea,  with  the  exception  of  one  deputation  of  Jonah  to 
Nineveh,  until  the  Fulness  of  Time  came. 

This  matter  presses  very  much  on  the  great  civilized,  educated, 
people  of  China,  Japan,  and  India.  A  Brahmin,  at  Banaras,  is 
said  to  have  remarked  :  "  How  did  it  happen,  that  we  never 
**  heard  of  this  Good  News  until  Mr.  William  Smith  arrived  at 
**  Banaras  in  1840  ?  We  have  been  2,000  years  or  more  in  the 
**  valley  of  the  Ganges:  why  were  our  ancestors  not  informed  of 
"  this  great  Truth,  if  it  be  eternal,  and  universal,  and  of  such  vital 
"  importance,  as  you  say  that  it  is  ?  why  did  the  English  receive 
"  the  Message  1,800  years  earlier  than  we  did  :  they  were  savages 
"  in  those  days,  while  we  were  then,  even  then,  great  and  wise,  and 
*'  educated,  composing  books  of  Poetry  and  Philosophy,  building 
*'  temples,  and  palaces,  and  carving  Inscriptions  on  the  rocks, 
**  which  remain  to  this  day,  as  memorials  of  our  greatness." 
There  is  a  great  deal  in  this  Brahmin's  remark,  and  it  is  but  a 
poor  reply  to  say,  that  all  their  former  greatness  were  the  artifices 
of  Satan,  and  that  India  is  the  Kingdom  of  the  Devil. 

I  pass  to  another  view  of  the  subject :  I  have  two  Pamphlets 


(     270     ) 

on  my  table,  one  published  by  the  Society  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Gospel-Mission,  Rewari,  and  the  others  by  the  Santal 
Mission-Press,  Pokhuria.  The  first  is  entitled,  *'A  specimen  of 
Hinduism  :  How  Brahma  became  a  goose,  and  Vishnu  a 
boar."  The  second  is  entitled,  "  Exposure  of  the  character  of 
the  Yajur  Veda,  by  the  Rev.  T.  Williams,  Rewari,  Panjab." 

These  Pamphlets  are  written  for  circulation  among  the 
Professors  of  the  Brahmanical  Religion.  I  will  not  go  into 
detail :  their  perusal  would  be  highly  offensive  to  a  Brahmin, 
and  might  possibly  lead  to  a  breach  of  the  peace :  They  are 
intended  to  expose  to  ridicule  portions  of  the  Sacred  Books  of  a 
great  Nation  in  their  own  country :  can  this  be  right  ?  Supposing 
in  revenge  any  member  of  the  old  Religious  Beliefs,  or  of  the 
new  ones,  such  as  Mormons,  and  Theosophists,  were  to  publish 
in  the  free  Press  of  British  India  a  Pamphlet,  describing  in  a 
scurrilous  tone  the  life  of  our  Lord,  and  the  circumstances, 
connected  with  His  birth,  it  would  give  pain  to  our  weaker 
converts ;  but  only  imagine  the  results  of  a  Pamphlet  of  selec- 
tions from  the  Old  Testament,  such  as  the  conduct  of  Lot,  the 
conduct  of  Judah,  and  his  son,  passages  in  the  life  of  David, 
and  his  sons,  printed  and  placed  in  circulation  with  comical 
comments,  such  as  accompany  the  Reverend  Missionary's 
description,  how  Brahma,  and  Vishnu,  the  two  members  of  the 
Sacred  Triad,  became  a  goose  and  a  boar  respectively.  It 
appears  to  me  quite  unworthy,  and  may  possibly  lead  to  the 
interference  of  the  Civil  Government.  Should  we  tolerate 
indecent  attacks  on  the  Christian  and  Jewish  Books  made  by  a 
Mahometan,  or  Hindu,  Missionary  in  London  ?  Should  we  not 
do  unto  others,  as  we  should  wish  men  to  do  unto  us  ? 

Professor  Monier-Williams,  in  his  paper  read  at  the  Croydon 
Church  Congress,  1877,  asks  with  knowledge:  **  Why  do  we 
meet  the  intolerance  of  the  Mahometan  with  Christian  in- 
tolerance ? "  He  does  not  ask  for  a  false  tolerance,  but  an 
absence  of  denunciation  of  Mahomet,  who,  however  fiercely 
intolerant  of  Idolaters,  never  uttered  a  word  against  the  Lord 
Jesus,  whose  name  is  never  pronounced  unaccompanied  by  a 
blessing  by  any  Mahometan.  The  Law  and  the  Gospel  are 
ever  spoken  of  as  the  Word  of  God.  The  miraculous  birth  of 
Jesus  is  asserted  (Sura  III,  40-42).  The  Koran  was  a  later 
revelation  :  here  the  roads  part.  Mahomet  took  his  stand  firmly 
on  the  ground  of  God's  Fatherhood,  and  Jesus'  humanity :  let 
us  start  from  this  point,  and  prove  the  Divinity  of  our  Saviour, 
the  Mediation,  the  Atonement,  the  Resurrection,  and  Ascension. 
Let  us  reflect  what  example  of  Christian  moral  life  Europeans 
set  in  Mahometan  countries,  what  ideal  of  Christ's  love  Mis- 
sionaries set  in  their  indecent  condemnation  of  Islam. 

Ignorance  and  Superstition,  the  result  of  long  Centuries  of 


(     271     ) 

isolation,  and  absence  of  Education,  are  indeed  great  barriers 
to  the  intelligible  reception  of  the  Gospel-Message,  but  they 
are  only  human  barriers,  and  by  God's  Grace,  working  through 
the  Love  of  the  enlightened  for  their  fellow-men  in  darkness, 
can  be  lifted  up.  The  soul  of  Man  opens  to  the  teaching  of 
his  Divine  Creator,  as  the  sunflower  opens  to  the  rays  of  the 
Sun ;  and  no  cavern  is  so  dark,  no  human  mind  so  clouded,  that 
one  ray  of  the  Divine  Light  cannot  pierce  into  it,  if  only  those, 
who  have  for  generations  basked  in  the  Light,  leave  off  idle 
abuse,  and  do  their  duty  to  their  God  and  their  Fellow-men. 

19.  Immorality. 

It  goes,  as  it  were,  without  saying,  that  the  Missionary  should 
profess,  and,  as  far  as  his  weak  human  nature  permits  him,  act 
up  to  the  very  highest  possible  standard  of  Morality  in  every- 
thing, and  to  everybody.  The  lamentable  failures  of  the  most 
ordinary  and  vulgar  laws  of  Morality,  that  have  occurred  lately, 
is  appalling.  In  some  Missions  he  has  to  live  among  people  of 
a  very  low  culture  :  he  has  to  address  men  and  women  partially, 
if  not  entirely,  naked,  and  yet  they  are  not  Savages  :  they  have 
an  unwritten  Code  of  Morality,  though  an  imperfect  one. 

No  case  of  Immorality  has  come  to  my  knowledge,  where  the 
Missionaries  dwell  in  Brotherhoods,  and  as  Associated  Evange- 
lists. No  Romish  Priest  is  ever  left  alone.  In  a  jaunty  way 
devoted,  but  imperfectly-informed,  friends  of  Missions  may  give 
the  lie  to  such  allegations  :  I  know  them  to  be  true.  A  certain 
letter,  written  to  the  Committee  of  the  Church-Missionary- 
Society  by  good  Bishop  Parker,  of  East  Equatorial  Africa,  and 
received  after  the  news  of  his  death  had  reached  London,  will 
never  be  forgotten  by  those,  who  read  it.  No  allusion  to  such 
things  is  found  in  a  Missionary-Report.  "  Bona  verba  quaeso." 
If  any  servant  of  the  State  had  robbed  the  Treasury,  or  com- 
mitted a  crime,  it  would  hardly  remain  unnoticed  in  the  Report 
forwarded  by  an  earthly  Governor.  The  same  impartial  attitude 
should  be  maintained  with  regard  to  spiritual  men.  No  secrecy 
is  maintained  as  regards  the  errors  of  Old  Testament-worthies. 
The  Bible  is  very  outspoken.  When  lay  and  ordained  Mis- 
sionaries have  been  disconnected  in  considerable  nnmbers  for 
incontinence,  the  supporters  of  the  Association  should  be 
informed  :  I  allude  to  Africa. 

In  the  accounts  of  the  Missions  in  Europe  in  the  Middle  Ages 
I  read,  how  the  Bishop  of  Prague  endeavoured  to  reform  the 
lives  of  the  people,  who  were  only  nominally  Christian.  It  was 
uphill  work.  Paganism,  though  kept  at  bay,  was  still  a  living 
power.  Such  Christianity,  as  existed,  was  mixed  with  Pagan 
elements  of  the  darkest  kind.  The  clergy  were  steeped  in 
grossest  immorality  ;  Polygamy  was  openly  practised. 


(     272     ) 

Of  course  it  is  difficult  in  such  a  Mission  as  that  of  U  Ganda 
to  get  up  supplies,  but  anything  would  seem  better  than  to 
employ  as  conveyer  of  supplies  a  Missionary  discharged  from 
the  Mission  for  immorality,  who  goes  backwards  and  forwards 
accompanied  by  his  native  family. 

In  the  length  and  breadth  of  British  India,  during  a  quarter 
of  a  Century,  I  never  heard  a  breath  of  scandal  against  any 
Missionary,  Protestant,  or  of  the  Church  of  Rome.  But  in  Africa 
my  experiences  are  sadly  different :  'Aec  (pcpei  Ai/ivij  ti  Kaivov. 

20.  Importing  Western  Ideas. 

Civilization  is  the  incidental,  not  the  primary,  object  of  a 
Mission.  It  is  wrong  to  expect,  that  Civilization  should  precede 
Evangelization  ;  it  may  accompany  it.  Christianity  can  adapt 
itself  to  every  phase,  and  epoch,  of  Human-Culture.  Civilization 
may  possibly  choke  the  good  seed,  and  retard  Gospel-teaching. 
The  Missionary  should  place  before  his  eyes,  as  the  model,  which 
he  aims  at,  not  the  British,  or  New  England,  village,  with  all  its 
surroundings  of  European  culture,  but  the  villages  of  Palestine, 
such  as  they  were,  when  our  Lord  passed  through  them. 
Nothing  is  so  bad  as  to  turn  a  Negro  into  a  pseudo-English- 
man. What  has  a  particular  stage  of  Human-Culture  to  do  with 
the  Everlasting  Gospel  ? 

When  Paul  and  Peter  came  into  contact  with  Greeks  and 
Romans,  the  difference  of  their  Civilization  was  not  extreme : 
Paul  may  have  been  quite  on  the  level  with  the  very  best ;  the 
other  Apostles  sprang  from  humble  origin.  When  Columbanus, 
and  his  British  colleagues,  and  Boniface,  and  his  Anglo-Saxon 
colleagues,  started  on  their  Mission  to  Central  Europe,  there  was 
not  an  excessive,  if  any,  difference  of  Civilization  betwixt  the 
Missionary  and  his  flock.  If  the  European,  or  American, 
Missionary  met  the  higher  classes  of  the  people  of  India,  or 
China,  a  certain  difference  would  be  manifest,  but  not  always 
in  favour  of  the  white  man  :  but  the  work  of  the  Missionary  in 
Asia  is  chiefly  with  the  lower  classes,  and  the  natives  of  Africa, 
N.  America,  and  Oceania,  are  low  down  in  the  scale  of  Human 
Culture,  far  removed  from  the  Culture  of  the  white  man.  The 
Gospel  is  good  for  all,  for  the  highly-civilized  Oriental  races, 
and  the  entirely  uncivilized  races ;  but  it  should  not  be  accom- 
panied by  a  spurious  admixture  of  European  non-essentials. 
The  Christian  Religion  has  its  roots,  and  brought  forth  its  first- 
fruits  in  Asia :  the  Bible  is  a  thoroughly  Oriental  book :  the 
Missionary  should  so  far  forget  his  country,  and  not  drag  in 
European,  or  American,  notions. 

There  is  a  great  danger,  that  our  short-sighted,  and  imper- 
fectly-informed. Missionaries  may  do  a  great  mischief  to  the 
inferior  races,  with  whom  they  come  into  contact,  by  putting  into 


(     273     ) 

them  notions  of  civil  liberty,  which  has  resulted  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  West  after  Centuries  of  struggle,  but  which  is  not  a 
necessary  ingredient  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  I  heard  it  at  the 
time  in  India,  that  an  ill-judging  American  Missionary  put 
questions  of  this  kind  in  his  Mission-School:  "What  is  a 
King  ?"  "  A  bad  man,  who  cuts  off  people's  heads."  "  What  is 
a  Bishop?"  "A  wicked  man,  who  bullies  God's  Ministers." 
Such  are  extreme,  but  not  impossible,  cases  :  We  know,  as  a 
positive  fact,  that  the  American  Mission-Schools  in  the  Caroline 
Islands,  in  the  Kingdom  of  Spain,  had  a  feast  in  honour  of  the 
4th  of  July,  and  the  Protestant  Greeks  in  the  Constantinople- 
Mission  were  permitted  to  celebrate  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary 
of  the  accession  of  the  King  of  Greece.  No  wonder,  that  the 
Turkish  Government  is  hostile  to  a  hothouse  of  rebels :  only 
imagine  the  American  Mission-Schools  in  the  Panjab  cele- 
brating the  birthday  of  the  Emperor  of  Russia.  All  such 
vagaries  are  thoroughly  wrong,  and  outside  the  circle  of  Mis- 
sionary-duties. 

Equally  objectionable  is  the  practice  of  urging  them  to  change 
their  costumes,  their  mode  of  life,  and  thus  enclosing  in  an 
ephemeral,  worldly,  perishable,  husk  the  eternal,  unchangeable, 
spiritual,  kt^rnel  of  the  Gospel.  On  the  other  hand,  the  employ- 
ment of  Native  music,  and  other  unobjectionable  Native  arts,  is 
to  be  recomm.ended. 

But  here  again  some  incidents  should  be  noticed.  Fifty  years 
ago  I  was  the  guest  of  Bishop  Wilson,  of  Calcutta,  at  Simla: 
at  family-prayers  his  Christian  attendants  took  off  their  turbans, 
and  laid  them  down,  like  large  soup-plates,  before  them,  while 
they  kneeled  bare-headed.  I  remonstrated  at  this  with  the 
good  Bishop,  as  I  remarked,  that  they  retained  their  shoes  on 
their  feet :  here  was  an  entirely  gratuitous  departure  from 
Oriental  habit.  In  Public  worship  the  same  difficulties  are 
arising :  I  quote  from  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report, 
1890:  "We  of  the  Episcopal  Church  are  thought  to  be  un- 
"  bending,  and  desirous  of  planting  the  Church  of  England 
*'  bodily  in  Japan.  The  Prayer-book,  kneeling  during  prayer, 
"  and  the  surplice,  are  all  looked  upon  as  ridiculous.  The 
"  idea  is,  *  let  everyone  do  as  he  likes.'  We  are  supposed  to 
"  have  a  great  deal  of  form  and  ceremony,  and  this  is  taken  to 
**  be  synonymous  with  hypocrisy.  These  opinions  are  chiefly 
*'  rife  amongst  the  young  men,  and  it  is  they,  who  are  noisy  and 
"  lead  others." 

These  objections  cover  a  great  deal  of  serious  ground :  "  At 
"  Mandla  itself  the  attendance  at  the  Church-services  and  Bible- 
"  classes  was  '  all  that  one  can  desire '  on  the  part  of  the 
"  Christians,  while  Hindu  visitors,  attracted  by  the  harmonium 
"  and  hearty  singing,  were  often  present." 

18 


(     274     ) 

In  November  meetings  were  held  at  Chintadrepettah  and  at 
the  Mount,  for  lyrical  preachings  by  a  young  Tinnevelly  poet, 
the  son  of  a  Vellala  convert.  Mr.  Satthianadhan  says  of  one  of 
these  meetings,  held  at  the  Mount :  "  The  hall  was  overcrowded, 
**  and  many  were  obliged  to  stand  outside  and  listen  through 
**  the  doors  and  windows.  A  large  number  of  Hindu  women 
**  also  were  present,  and  listened  to  the  music  and  preaching 
"  with  great  interest.  The  meeting  lasted  three  hours,  and  yet 
**  the  interest  did  not  flag  throughout.  The  preacher  is  only 
•*  twenty-five,  and  yet  he  has  composed  original  poems  on 
"  almost  every  variety  of  Christian  subjects  relating  to  doctrine 
**  and  ethics.  He  also  handles  the  violin  in  a  masterly  manner. 
"  He  thus  combines  in  himself  the  rare  qualifications  of  com- 
"  poser,  player,  singer,  and  preacher." 

In  the  Agenda  of  the  Church-Missionary-Society,  in  March, 
1894,  I  find  a  proposal  to  rescind  a  Minute  regarding  repairs  of 
a  pianoforte  at  Bombay :  this  really  seems  a  waste  of  Committee 
time.  In  the  Missions  Catholiques  I  read,  how  a  large  har- 
monium was  taken  from  France  to  Zanzibar,  and  then  at  a  large  ex- 
penditure carried  on  men's  shoulders  to  Victoria  Nyanza,  shipped 
into  a  native  boat,  which  was  attacked,  and  sunk,  by  a  Crocodile  ; 
and  the  Fathers  appeal  to  their  friends  to  send  out  another 
harmonium.  Is  not  this  an  undue  introduction  of  European 
wants  among  an  uncivilized  and  very  poor  race  }  Is  not  the 
human  voice  better  in  simple  congregations  than  harmonium, 
pianoforte,  or  violin  ?  I  have  already  mentioned,  how  a  Swedish 
party  arrived  at  Shanghai  armed  with  guitars.  This  is  only  a 
sample  of  the  evil,  which  injudicious  ^Iissionaries  are  working, 
though  with  the  best  intentions. 

I  subjoin  some  sensible  remarks :  "  Of  course  that  is  not  to 
**  say,  that  all  Hindu  can  be  made  good  Christians  ;  still  less 
"  that  they  can  be  brought  over  to  the  English  variety  of  the 
"  Faith,  or  the  Irish,  or  the  Scotch.  Do  what  we  will,  the 
"  Hindu  will  remain  Hindu,  and  be  no  more  English  than 
"  they  will  be  French,  Italian,  or  German.  If  we  persist  in  the 
"  attempt  to  make  them  Christians  after  the  fashion  of  the 
**  Book  of  Common  Prayer  and  Thirty-nine  Articles,  of  course 
"  we  shall  be  continually  working  against  the  grain,  and  attempt- 
*'  ing  a  work,  for  which  neither  a  Divine  promise,  nor  common- 
"  sense,  can  be  alleged.  On  the  other  hand,  if  we  take  the 
**  Christian  Faith,  as  we  find  it  in  its  earliest  and  most  authentic 
"  form  and  practice,  it  presents  no  insuperable  difficulty  to  any 
**  Oriental  intellect  or  sentiment.  Our  Faith  came  from  the 
"  East;  and,  if  we  are  now  to  admit,  that  it  cannot  return  to  the 
"  East,  that  is  a  confession,  that  we  have  made  it  a  Western 
"  thing,  and  overlaid  it  with  European  accretions.  This  is  not 
"  to  be  suff"ered   for  an  hour.      It  remains  now  what   it  was 


(     275     ) 

"  nearly  nineteen  hundred  years  ago,  and  there  is  no  reason 
*'  why  all  Asia  should  not  become  Christian." 

21.  Undertaking  Work  not  belonging  to  his  Duty. 

Another  caution  is  required.  The  majority  of  Missionaries 
are  men  of  ordinary  talent  and  acquirements,  though  of  un- 
blemished character,  and  of  great  self-consecration ;  but  amidst 
their  number  in  all  denominations  rise  up  from  time  to  time 
men,  who  are  giants,  whose  talents  are  of  the  highest  calibre. 
These  men  throw  a  lustre  in  the  eyes  of  the  world  over  their 
profession,  but  are  not  necessarily  better  Missionaries.  If  their 
talents  are  linguistic,  they  cannot  exert  them  too  freely,  or  too 
abundantly,  in  the  work  of  translations  of  the  Scriptures,  and 
composing  of  Educational  and  Devotional  works ;  but,  if  their 
talents  are  those  of  the  Man  of  Science,  they  should  remember, 
that  they  are  not  sent  forth  at  the  expense  of  Churches,  and 
Families,  to  be  Geographers,  or  Explorers,  or  Botanists,  or 
Zoologists,  or  Conchologists,  or  Geologists,  or  to  establish 
Plantations,  or  Manufactures,  or  Trade,  or  to  plant  Cocoa-nut 
trees,  or  breed  Ostriches,  but  to  preach  the  Gospel  of  Christ, 
and  they  should  maintain  a  holy  restraint  upon  themselves, 
folding  up  their  particular  talents,  perhaps  with  a  sigh,  in  a 
napkin,  rather  than  permit  them  to  hamper  the  work,  for  which 
they  were  called  and  chosen.  The  idea  of  a  self-supporting 
Mission  is  a  dream.  It  distresses  me  to  read  in  Stanley's 
"Kongo"  of  a  Missionary,  who  had  shot  twenty-five  elephants, 
and  made  great  profit  by  the  sale  of  the  tusks.  Still  more 
distressed  was  I,  when  I  came  upon  French  Missionaries  in 
Algeria  distilling  intoxicating  liqueurs. 

The  Missionary  should  care  for  the  health  of  himself,  and 
his  family.  It  has  cost  much  to  bring  him  to  his  post.  Disease 
and  death  have  already  too  many  opportunities ;  let  him  not  by 
rash  exposure  multiply  those  risks.  Paul  shows  a  tender  care 
for  the  health  of  Timothy.  Even  in  things  secular  prudence  is 
advisable.  Prudence  enabled  me,  and  many  others,  to  pass  a 
quarter  of  a  Century  in  uninterrupted  health  in  India,  and  return 
to  our  native  land  stronger  than  our  contemporaries,  who  had 
never  left  England.  The  Missionary  has  consecrated  life  and 
faculties  to  his  Master;  let  him  take  care  of  the  poor,  weak, 
earthly  tabernacle,  not  for  its  own  sake,  for  it  is  worthless,  but 
as  the  necessary  adjunct  to  the  Spirit,  which  he  has  consecrated. 
The  care,  which  the  Committee  takes  of  its  Missionary,  is  nulli- 
fied, if  he  himself,  by  false  confidence  or  carelessness,  does  not 
take  care  of  himself,  and  his  wife. 

I  am  sorry  to  find  from  the  Charge  of  the  Bishop  of  Mauritius, 
1892,  that  the  duties  of  Missionary  to  the  Heathen,  and  Chaplain 


(     276     ) 

to  the  Troops  and  Civil  Community,  are  combined  :  they  seem 
to  be  entirely  incompatible.  In  German  East  Equatorial  Africa 
such  duties  are  part  of  the  understood  business  of  the  German 
Missionary. 

Under  the  same  category  comes  the  case  of  a  INIissionary,  who 
is  sent  out  to  convert  the  non-Christian  world,  and  yet  turns  to 
proselyte  members  of  the  Greek  and  Romish  Churches,  and  the 
smaller  Asiatic  and  African  Churches,  which  have  survived  to 
our  time.  There  can  be  no  objection  to  special  Missionaries, 
properly  trained  and  instructed,  being  sent  to  such  Churches,  as 
the  Assyrian,  to  assist  the  Bishops  in  a  friendly  way  in  the  work 
of  instruction,  but  how  can  a  Mission,  sent  out  to  convert  the 
Mahometans  at  Isfahan  in  Persia,  employ  itself  with  propriety 
in  attacking  the  Armenian  Christians  at  Julfa  ? 

2  2.  Introducing  New  Fads,  such  as  Total  Abstinence, 

ETC. 

Desirable  as  it  may  be  to  encourage  total  abstinence  from 
intoxicating  liqueurs  (and  the  precepts  of  the  Hindu  and 
Mahometan  Religions  are,  in  such  matters,  on  the  side  of  the 
Christian  Missionary),  it  may  be  doubtful,  whether  either 
Scripture,  or  expediency,  justify  an  absolute  prohibition.  Care 
must  be  taken  not  to  lay  upon  a  nascent  Christianity  a  burden, 
which  a  European,  and  American,  Church  never  has  accepted, 
and  never  will.  Precept  and  example  will  go  a  long  way.  It 
may  be  generally  stated,  that  the  highest  standard  of  Morality 
should  be  laid  down,  and  practised  as  far  as  human  weakness 
allows,  but  an  equitable  and  merciful  indulgence  be  shown  to 
backsliders.  We  know  who  ought  to  cast  the  first  stone.  We 
read  of  persons  denouncing  Opium,  and  still  drinking  Whiskey. 
Mahomet  forbade  all  forms  of  intoxicating  drink  ;  the  founder  of 
the  great  Sikh  Sect  of  the  Hindus  forbade  tobacco  ;  the 
Buddhist  Law  forbids  animal  food  ;  the  early  Christian  Sects 
forbade  matrimony.  All  such  interferences  with  the  great  law 
of  Christian  liberty  are  wrong,  and  the  neo-Christian  Churches 
will  laugh  at  any  such  bondage  imposed  by  poor  weak  men. 
We  had  better  leave  them  alone. 


23.    Insulting,  or  Making  Use  of,  non-Christian  Places 
OF  Worship. 

Most  dangerous  in  its  consequences  is  the  erection  of  Chapels, 
or  Schools,  in  unsuitable  places,  close  to  the  Temple  of  the 
Heathen,  or  the  IMosque  of  the  Mahometan.  We  boast  of  our 
tolerance  in  London,  but  would  an  English  mob  tolerate  the 


(     277     ) 

erection  of  a  Mosque,  and  the  daily  Calling  to  Prayer  from  a 
Minaret,  under  the  shadow  of  Westminster  Abbey  ?  In  the 
whole  length  of  British  India  the  Missionaries  have  been  singu- 
larly discreet,  and  have  their  reward  in  well-earned  popularity. 
I  once  had  to  order  the  demolition  of  a  Chapel  built  by  an  ill- 
judging  Missionary  actually  on  the  edge  of  a  Sacred  Tank, 
which  was  a  grave  outrage  to  the  peaceful  inhabitants  of  a  large 
town.  Still  worse  was  the  proceeding  of  a  Missionary  in  China, 
who  established  himself  upon  a  hill,  which  was  held  in  sanctity 
by  the  people,  and  made  a  grievance,  when  compelled  to  do 
unto  others,  what  he  desired  that  men  should  do  unto  him.  The 
Missionaries  of  the  Church  of  Rome  keep  the  French  Minister  at 
Pekin  in  constant  hot  water  with  the  Authorities  by  their  constant 
appeals  to  Treaty-Rights.  We  have  heard  old  experienced 
Missionaries  rejoice,  that  during  their  whole  career  they  had 
never  appealed  to  the  Magistrate,  or  invoked  the  Arm  of  the 
Flesh.  Missionaries  must  deal  gently  with  the  prejudices,  which 
they  encounter.  To  occupy  a  sacred  site,  and  build  upon  it  a 
Missionary-Residence  or  School,  under  any  view  of  the  case,  is 
an  act  of  extreme  indiscretion,  to  which  no  lapse  of  years  can 
give  a  sanction.  To  convert  a  Pagoda  into  a  Christian  place  of 
worship  is  one  of  those  acts,  which  may  be  resented  for  Centuries. 
We  have  instances  of  the  evil  consequences  of  such  a  policy 
written  in  blood  in  every  country. 

On  the  other  hand  such  practices  as  the  one  described  below 
in  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report  of  1893,  are  most 
objectionable :  "  Large  audiences  were  addressed  in  Buddhist 
**  temples,  the  priests  making  no  objection,  but  on  the  contrary, 
"  in  some  cases,  themselves  buying  copies  of  the  Gospels,  and 
•'  accepting  tracts." 

And  in  the  Church-Missionary-Society-Report,  1891  :  "He 
*'  sought  a  place  to  exhibit  his  lantern-slides,  and  was  invited 
"  to  use  the  devil-temple  for  the  purpose.  It  was  a  grand  time, 
*'  and  the  place,  which  had  often  resounded  with  the  uncouth 
"  shrieks  and  cries  of  devil-dancers,  now  rang  with  the  sweeter 
"  music  of  Christian  lyrics.  The  occasion  was  rendered  all  the 
**  more  interesting  to  my  mind,  because  the  itinerating  catechist, 
"  who  explained  the  slides,  had  himself  at  one  time  been  a 
*'  demon-worshipper,  and  had  even  officiated  as  a  devil-dancer. 
"  He  was  now  '  clothed  and  in  his  right  mind,'  engaged  in  a 
"  holier  and  more  heavenly  service.  During  the  exhibition  a  poor 
"  woman,  also  a  devil-dancer,  pretended  to  have  received  the 
*'  '  inflatus.'  She  danced,  and  yelled,  and  shouted,  '  They  have 
*'  defiled  our  temple  !  They  have  defiled  our  temple  ! '  But 
**  she  was  speedily  silenced  by  her  Heathen-friends,  who  were 
"  all  eyes  and  ears  for  the  story  of  the  life  of  Him,  who  came 
"  to  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil.     We  were  thankful  indeed 


(     278     ) 

"  for  this  remarkable  opportunity  of  preaching  the  truth  from 
**  a  place  where  Satan  s  seat  is.'' 

Christian  work  should  be  done  in  a  Christian  way,  and  the 
great  principle  maintained  of  doing  unto  others,  what  you 
would  wish  that  men  should  do  unto  you.  Only  reverse  the 
picture,  and  imagine  the  Cathedral  of  Labor  occupied  by 
Mahometans  or  Hindus,  and  desecrated  by  lantern-slides  of 
the  life  of  Mahomet,  or  of  Krishna,  while  some  poor  faithful 
Christian  is  the  unwilling  spectator  of  this  outrage,  whose  sobs 
and  cries  are  stopped  by  his  renegade  co-religionists,  who, 
forgetful  of  the  consecrated  sanctity  of  the  building,  are  all  eyes 
and  ears  to  hear  the  story  of  Krishna  and  the  40,000  Milkmaids. 
Lantern-slides  are  scarcely  an  Apostolic  Method  for  the  rousing 
of  a  sense  of  sin,  bringing  a  soul  to  the  Saviour,  and  sanctifi- 
cation  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 

24.  Preaching  to  Prisoners  in  Public  Gaols. 

As  an  instance  of  the  unreasonableness  of  Missionaries  in  some 
cases  I  make  the  following  quotation :  *'  The  Singhalese  Evan- 
"  gelistic  work  among  prisoners  has  been  somewhat  hampered 
"  by  the  enforcement  of  a  regulation  at  the  principal  prison, 
**  that  ministers,  or  catechists,  may  only  speak  to  prisoners,  who 
"  belong  to  their  own  denominations.  This  rule  effectually 
"  prevents  Evangelistic  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  Pleathen 
"  prisoners." 

Thirty  years  ago  an  attempt  was  made  to  allow  Missionaries 
access  to  the  inmates  of  the  Public  Gaols  in  the  Panjab,  and 
I  was  instrumental  in  having  the  practice  absolutely  forbidden. 
That  any  prisoner  should  have  reasonable  access  to  the  Ministers 
of  his  own  Religion  is  equitable,  but  to  allow  Propagandists  free 
entry  to  preach  their  own  views  to  an  audience  compelled  to 
listen  is  against  all  equity.  Imagine  the  case  of  a  Protestant 
inmate  of  a  Prison  in  such  a  country  as  Spain,  and  the  horror  of 
his  legal  punishment  being  enhanced  by  having  to  listen  to  the 
solicitations  of  a  Romish  Priest.  This  practice  is  an  insidious 
use  of  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh,  for  it  is,  in  fact,  employing  the 
Civil  Power  to  aid  Conversions.  The  Christian  Missionary 
would  deem  it  very  unjust,  if  one  of  his  own  converts  under 
sentence  came  out  of  prison  a  Brahmoist,  or  a  Mormonite, 
under  influence  of  teaching  forced  upon  him  during  his  term  of 
imprisonment. 

25.  Taking  up  New  Work  to  the  Neglect  of  Old. 

Most  open  to  objection  is  that  fatal  desire,  that  seizes  some 
Societies,  or  Missionaries,  to  be  always  taking  up  new  work,  and 


(     279     ) 

neglecting  and  starving  the  old.  In  each  Mission-Field  there 
is  a  natural  healthy  internal  growth,  at  once  the  evidence,  and 
forerunner,  of  success,  requiring  annually  an  increase  of  expendi- 
ture. It  is,  as  if  the  Father  of  a  Family,  instead  of  providing  for 
the  annually  increasing  legitimate  wants  of  his  own  children, 
should  waywardly  adopt  new  children,  and  nourish  these  at  the 
cost  of  starving  his  elder  family.  It  sounds  fair  enough  :  some 
one  is  always  found  ready  to  pay  the  expenses  for  three  or  five 
years,  but  after  that  time  the  Society  has  to  provide,  or  the 
result  of  the  whole  outlay  is  lost.  The  Scriptural  advice  of 
counting  the  cost  before  a  tower  is  commenced,  the  dictates 
of  common-sense,  the  example  of  secular  administration,  the 
warning-voice  of  the  more  prudent  members  of  the  Committee, 
are  all  set  aside  by  the  restless  fervour  of  some  enthusiasts  for 
new  work.  The  charge  of  want  of  Faith  is  cast  into  the  teeth 
of  those  who  object,  forgetting  that  we  are  told  to  use  our  talents 
to  the  utmost,  but  not  beyond  our  talents.  The  same  principles, 
which  guide  the  private  life  of  individual  Christian  men,  should 
guide  the  operations  of  collective  Christians. 


(     280     ) 


CONCLUDING  REMARKS. 

I  have  finished  my  task :  Faithful  are  the  words  of  a  friend  : 
there  are  not  many,  who  could,  or  would,  grapple  with  such 
a  subject  as  this  :  Unfortunately  not  many  Missionaries  of  long 
experience  remain  at  their  posts  to  the  end :  those  who  die  at 
their  posts  in  old  age  are  few,  for  death  is  busy  with  the  young 
and  middle-aged  ;  a  percentage  are  disabled  by  failure  of  health  : 
*'  Returned  Empties,"  who  have  thrown  up  their  vocation  owing 
to  sickness  of  wife,  or  more  desirable  Church  -  preferment  at 
home,  meet  the  eye  at  every  turn  :  they  have  quite  forgotten  the 
command  of  the  Master.  The  experience  of  the  Missionary  is 
limited  Geographically :  it  requires  prolonged,  all-round,  study 
by  one  entirely  free  from  the  predilections  of  any  particular 
shibboleth,  and  who  is  tall  enough  to  look  over  the  fence,  which 
separates  Church  from  Church,  and  sees  only  the  figure  of  our 
Lord,  as  He  gave  His  parting  orders  on  Mount  Olivet. 

I  wish  to  bring  home  to  some  the  state  of  the  case,  who  think 
lightly  of  the  blots  which  have  been  hit,  by  imagining  a  young 
Missionary  about  thirty-three  years  of  age  lying  on  the  bed,  on 
which  he  is  doomed  to  die,  and  thinking  sadly  on  the  ten  years 
of  his  service.  He  had  chosen  the  better  part,  and  had  conse- 
crated himself  in  the  flower  of  his  youth  to  the  One  Service, 
and  yet  he  had  married,  and  now  was  leaving  wife  and  a  large 
number  of  children,  who  ought  never  to  have  come  into  exist- 
ence, to  be  supported  by  money,  collected  under  the  influence 
of  prayer  for  the  Conversion  of  the  Heathen,  a  great  deal  from 
little  children  in  Missionary-boxes. 

Then  will  come  back  to  his  memory  the  gross  abuse  heaped 
by  him  upon  Mahomet,  and  the  great  and  wise  men,  Buddha, 
Confucius,  Zoroaster,  and  the  Hindu  Sages,  on  the  Religious  Con- 
ceptions, which  they  had  reduced  to  writing,  and  upon  the  poor 
ignorant  people  of  Asia  and  Africa,  who  owing  to  the  inscrutable 
Will  of  the  Almighty  had  never  had  a  chance  of  hearing  of  the 
Saviour.  Had  it  pleased  the  Divine  Controller  of  human  events, 
the  Light,  which  sprang  up  in  Galilee  to  lighten  the  Gentiles, 
could  have  flashed  Eastward  and  Southward  instead  of  only 
Westward.  We  in  the  West  enjoyed  early  blessings  of  Con- 
version, and  must  not  blame  those,  who  dwelt  in  darkness. 


(     281     ) 

He  will  think  of  his  meaningless  attacks  upon  ancient  Customs 
like  Caste,  Binding  of  Women's  feet  in  childhood,  Ancestral 
Worship,  and  the  Marriage  of  Children  in  tender  years  ;  of  his 
denunciation  of  the  long-suffering  Government  of  British  India, 
of  a  great  Agricultural  Industry,  and  a  great  Commercial  Traffic 
between  two  great  kingdoms,  and  the  management  of  the  Excise 
of  one  of  the  greatest  populations  of  the  world,  matters  utterly 
beyond  the  experience  of  one  of  his  antecedents,  and  training, 
in  the  middle-classes  of  Great  Britain. 

He  could  have  wished,  now  that  it  was  too  late,  that  he  had 
had  his  eye  and  thoughts  fixed  more  exclusively  on  his  Saviour, 
that  his  heart  had  been  more  filled  with  Love  for.  Sympathy 
with,  Pity  for,  the  poor,  poor  non-Christian. 

"  Faith  may  fail,  and  Hope  itself  remove, 

**  But  hearts  of  men  are  won  by  conquering  Love." 

A  Negro  once  said  of  William  Wilberforce,  the  friend  of  the 
slaves,  that  he  loved  him,  "  because  he  had  a  black  heart."  The 
Missionary,  who  wishes  to  win  non-Christian  races  to  Christ, 
must  show  himself  in  that  light,  and  many  have  done  so. 

The  World  is  like  one  of  those  great  forests  described  by 
African  travellers.  Ancient  Religious  Conceptions  have  grown 
up  side  by  side,  contending  like  lofty  trees  for  superiority  of 
elevation  with  each  other :  the  birds  of  the  air  make  their 
dwellings  in  the  upper  branches,  on  which  the  eternal  Tropical 
Sun  is  shining.  Down  below  is  darkness ;  the  inhabitants  of 
the  forest,  like  the  believers  in  these  Ancient  Religions,  move 
about  in  total  spiritual  darkness.  Lichens  and  Epiphytes  have 
covered  the  lower  branches,  and  the  stems  of  the  trees.  Legends 
and  Lies  have  choked  up  whatever  of  Truth  there  once  existed 
in  these  ancient  Faiths.  But  at  the  roots  of  the  tree  the  insect- 
world  has  long  been  at  work,  and  the  day  will  come,  when  the 
great  tree  will  perish  in  one  or  other  of  two  ways,  by  the  eating 
away  of  the  life,  and  the  conduits  of  sap,  in  the  trunk  by  its 
insidious  enemies,  or  by  the  fire  deliberately  lighted  by  the 
Traveller  encamped  beneath,  and  kept  alive  by  broken  fragments 
of  its  own  branches.  So  the  Ancient  Faith,  the  simple  Primaeval 
Conception  of  God's  Power,  and  Man's  Duty,  is  gradually  eaten 
away  by  the  birth  of  newer  and  more  refined  developments  of 
thought,  or  a  great  iconoclast  intolerant  foreign  Religion  de- 
liberately attacks  the  old  effete  institution,  and  destroys  it. 

Then  the  Great  Tree,  and  the  Great  Religion,  fall :  no  one 
regrets  them,  and  a  thick  jungle  of  younger  conceptions  of  the 
fertile  brain  of  man  take  their  place :  but  the  end  is  not  yet : 
they  are  only  in  an  intermediate  stage,  till  the  time  of  the 
clearing  of  the  soil  comes,  and  then  the  living  jungle  of  younger 


(     282     ) 

Pagan  Conceptions,  and  the  dead  prostrate  trunk  of  the  ancient 
Book-Religions,  are  cleared  away,  and  an  entirely  new,  and 
vivid,  and  more  advanced,  view  of  the  relation  of  God  to  Man 
is  introduced,  and  no  feeling  of  regret,  or  gratitude,  is  felt  for 
the  dead  Conception,  as  it  had  had  its  day. 

But  who  is  equal  to  the  task  of  clearing  away  this  debris  ?  Is 
the  average  modern  Missionary  with  his  scamped  Education, 
his  narrow  views,  the  premature  burden  of  a  sick  wife  and  young 
family,  and  the  absence  of  opportunity  for  study,  or  converse 
with  men,  who  have  made  the  inquiry  into  the  variety  of  the 
modes  of  dealing  of  the  Almighty  with  His  poor  creatures,  equal 
to  such  a  task  ?  **  damnat  quod  non  intelligit." 

A  new  environment  is  opening  upon  us  in  the  twentieth 
Century.  The  heart  must  be  softened  towards  our  brethren, 
who  have  not  had  the  privilege  of  being  born  Christians  :  the 
contemptuous  expressions^  used  by  the  Hebrews  with  regard  to 
the  **  Goi,"  or  Gentiles,  will  not  go  down  now :  there  is  no 
advantage  in  quoting  such  expressions  from  the  Old  Testament. 
The  people  of  India,  and  China,  and  Japan,  are  advancing  in 
knowledge,  and  will  not  put  up  with  insults  heaped  upon  them  : 
many  of  them  read  the  English  Periodicals,  and  the  English  will 
soon  be  obliged  to  read  their  Periodicals.  The  Monopoly  of 
Benevolence,  which  used  to  be  possessed  by  the  Missionary,  is 
being  taken  away,  or  has  to  be  shared  with  Secular  Institutions. 
The  Lady-Dufferin-Fund  for  providing  medical  aid  for  the 
women  of  India,  and  to  bring  relief  to  thousands  of  females, 
and  little  children,  who  suffer  needlessly,  and  from  want  of  know- 
ledge, is  purely  secular,  and  has  prospered  beyond  what  anyone 
would  have  dared  to  anticipate.  One,  therefore,  of  the  good 
Methods  alluded  to  in  Part  I  is  shared  by  those,  who  do  not 
make  use  of  Medical  assistance,  as  a  channel  for  Gospel- 
preaching.  Education  is  also  monopolized  by  the  State. 
Preaching  and  Teaching  in  the  Towns  and  Villages  are  now 
instruments  made  use  of  by  the  old  Hindu,  and  the  promoters  of 
neo-Hinduism,  by  the  Mahometan,  the  Theosophist,  and  the 
Mormonite.  The  Miracles  recorded  in  the  Bible  can  no  longer 
be  appealed  to,  as  equally  wonderful  Miracles  are  recorded  in 
the  Sacred  Books  now  revealed,  and  made  accessible  to  the 
followers  of  each  Religion  by  the  labour  of  European  Scholars. 
Martyrdom  is  no  speciality  of  the  follower  of  any  particular 
Faith.  The  African  Traveller,  who  witnesses  the  torture  and 
death  of  the  two  Dervishes  of  the  Mahdi,  in  the  camp  of  Emin 
Pasha,  comments  with  admiration  on  the  fortitude  evinced  to 
the  last  by  these  Mahometan  enthusiasts. 

It  is  scarcely  sufficiently  appreciated,  how  during  the  last 
half  Century  there  has  been  a  mighty  change  in  the  problem. 
Education,  and  a  knowledge  of  other  countries,  have  taught  the 


(     283     ) 

great  Heathen  Nations  certain  lessons  :  a  stubborn  National 
feeling  is  developing  itself,  the  absolute  necessity  of  the  highest 
Morality  is  admitted  :  to  those,  who  have  studied  the  subject  of 
the  Religious  Conceptions  of  Antiquity,  before  the  great  Anno 
Domini,  and  the  new  crop,  which  has  since  sprung  up  every- 
where, it  is  clear,  that  we  are  entering  into  a  new  Epoch,  that 
the  old  weapons  are  well-nigh  useless,  that  the  cuckoo-cry  of  the 
Missionary  should  be  stopped.  My  own  thoughts  have  been 
much  turned  to  the  subject,  and  I  am  engaged  to  read  a  paper 
at  the  International  Oriental  Congress  to  be  held  at  Geneva 
next  September  on  the  "  Old  Religious  Conceptions,  which  pre- 
vailed in  Europe  and  Asia,  and  N.  Africa,  before  the  Fulness  of 
Time  came,  and  the  great  Ao'709  appeared  "  :  some  of  these  Con- 
ceptions are  still  living,  such  as  the  Zoroastrian,  Brahmanical, 
Buddhist,  Confucian,  laouist,  Shinto,  and  Judaism ;  and  some 
have  been  dead  for  Centuries,  the  Egyptian,  Babylonian,  Assyrian, 
and  other  Semitic  Conceptions  in  Asia,  and  the  Graeco-Latin, 
and  Teutonic,  in  Europe.  In  my  lately- published  Essay, 
*'  Clouds  on  the  Horizon,"  1891,1  point  out  the  new  non-Christian 
Conceptions  which  stand  betwixt  the  people,  and  the  accept- 
ance of  Christianity :  i  neo-Mahometanism,  2  neo-Judaism,  neo- 
Hinduism,  neo-Zoroastrian,  neo-Buddhism,  neo-Confucianism, 
Brahmoism,  Arya  Samaj,  Brahmo  Samaj,  Te  Kooti,  Te  Whiti, 
Mormonism,  Theosophism,  in  addition  to  the  well-known 
European  forms  of  Positivism,  Agnosticism,  Unitarianism, 
Theism,  etc.,  etc. 

As  among  professors  of  ancient  Faiths,  like  those  of  the 
Hindu,  Buddhist,  and  Confucianist,  so  among  the  Jews,  God's 
chosen  people,  who  have  stood  out  against  Christianity  so  many 
Centuries,  a  change  of  front  is  taking  place :  while  one  section  of 
educated  Jews  cling  to  the  ritual  of  the  Pentateuch,  places  a  value 
on  Old-World  forms,  and  ceremonies,  and  even  prays,  that  the 
period  may  arrive,  when  the  long-forgotten  ritual  of  sacrifice  of 
poor  dumb  animals  and  birds  may  be  restored,  as  an  atonement 
for  sin  ;  another  section  seem  to  be  advancing  into  the  lines  of 
pure  Unitarianism.  I  quote  from  the  Record  a  notice  of  one  of 
the  leaders  of  this  section :  his  position  is  rather  understated 
than  overstated  :  "  The  name  of  Mr.  Claude  G.  Montefiore,  who 
**  edits  the  Jewish  Quarterly  Review,  and  was  Hibbert-Lecturer 
"  in  1892,  is  well-known  to  scholars  outside  of  the  Community, 
**  of  which  he  is  a  prominent  member.  His  Hibbert-Lectures 
*'  on  the  Religion  of  the  Hebrews  proved  him  to  be  at  once  a 
"  profound  theologian,  and  a  Jew,  who  approached  the  study  of 
*'  the  Christian  Religion  in  a  singularly  open-minded  manner. 
**  A  man,  who  can  remain  an  active  and  honoured  member  of 
"  the  Synagogue,  while  publicly  expressing  his  belief,  that  the 
**  Judaism  of  the  future  will  need  to  be  built  up  on  the  teachings 


(     284     ) 

"  of  Jesus  contained  in  the  Gospels,  and  whose  dream  is  '  of  a 
**  prophetic  Judaism,  which  shall  be  as  spiritual,  as  the  Religion 
**  of  Jesus,  and  even  more  universal  than  the  Religion  of  Paul,'  a 
"  teacher  professing  such  enlightened  views  is  a  force  to  be 
"  reckoned  with  by  Christians  and  Jews  alike,  and  his  utterances 
**  on  Religious  questions  must  always  command  the  attention  of 
"  serious  thinkers."  Old  things  have  indeed  passed  away,  and 
all  things  are  new. 

In  Exeter  Hall,  May  1894,  Bishop  Tucker  expressed  the 
feelings  of  many  of  us  in  the  following  words :  **  To  him  it  was 
**  inconceivable,  that  a  man  should  be  truly  religious,  and  yet  not 
"  have  the  Missionary-spirit.  When  a  man  pleaded  the  necessity 
"  of  attending  to  his  own  personal  Religion,  or  offered  the  excuse, 
"  that  there  was  work  at  home,  then  his  personal  love  for  Christ 
"  must  be  at  a  low  ebb.  Nor  could  the  failure  of  Missions  be 
**  urged  as  a  reason  for  disregarding  them.  If  efforts  fail,  did 
**  that  make  the  duty  less  binding  ?  Some  held  aloof  from 
**  Missionary-effort,  simply  because  they  doubted  of  its  success. 
"  Even  if  they  were  right  in  their  doubts,  was  that  any  reason  ? 
"  The  man  of  Faith  would  labour  on  in  Faith  and  Hope.  Elabo- 
*'  rating  this  point  he  pleaded  urgently  with  his  hearers  to  take 
"  their  part  in  the  Evangelization  of  the  World,  and  not  to  have 
"  to  say  in  years  to  come,  as  he  had  so  often  heard  it  said, 
"  *  Oh,  that  I  had  my  time  over  again  I  Grey  hairs  are  upon  me, 
"  and  I  cannot  go  now.' " 

The  Bishop  did  not  add,  that  it  is  mainly  owing  to  the 
unguarded  utterances  of  Missionaries,  and  the  peculiar  character 
of  the  Publications  of  Societies,  that  the  extreme  unpopularity 
of  the  subject  must  be  attributed.  It  is  sad  to  think,  that  so 
many  live  through  honoured,  good,  and  useful  lives,  and  yet  on 
their  deathbed  they  must  admit,  that  they  had  never  contributed 
a  farthing,  uttered  a  prayer,  or  given  a  thought  to  the  extension 
of  the  Lord's  Kingdom,  There  are  whole  families,  and  whole 
grades  of  social  life,  who  give  nothing  but  the  miserable  shilling 
on  the  occasion  of  a  Missionary-Sermon,  and  yet  perhaps  lay 
down  £100  for  some  excellent  Local  Charity.  We  cannot,  with 
any  sense  of  justice,  call  these  people  bad  names,  following  the 
example  of  the  Missionaries  towards  the  non-Christian  world, 
for  the  good  people  of  the  Associations,  with  their  goody-goody 
treatment  of  the  great  subject,  are  themselves  the  cause  of  this 
coldness.  In  my  daily  round  for  the  last  fifteen  years  I  have 
passed  from  the  Hall  of  Scientific  Research,  or  the  Assembly  of 
Local  Administrators,  into  a  Missionary-Committee-Room,  and  I 
must  admit,  that  there  is  a  difference,  the  existence  of  which 
I  regret.  I  am  myself  deeply  indebted  to  Missionary-Committee- 
Rooms,  though  perplexed  by  the  mode,  in  which  business  is 
conducted.    I  always  took  a  volume  of  Homer's  "  Odyssey  "  with 


(     285     ) 

me,  that  I  might  get  my  thoughts  away  from  some  dreary 
discussion  on  the  most  trivial  subject,  such  as  the  marriage  of  a 
Missionary,  the  admission  of  his  children  into  the  Home,  or  the 
repairing  of  a  Pianoforte.  I  write  with  copies  of  several  agenda 
on  my  table. 

I  have  said  my  say.  This  is  probably  my  last  contribution  to 
Missionary-Literature.  If  I  have  written  what  is  not  true,  put 
this  paper  behind  the  fire.  If  there  be  a  scintilla  of  Truth,  think 
over  it.  It  cannot  now  be  said,  that  we  must  travel  onward  in  a 
mist,  and  that,  as  nobody  criticized,  there  was  no  error. 

I  have  no  doubt,  that  my  book  will  meet  bitter  criticisms :  a 
certain  famous  book  at  the  time  of  the  Reformation,  "  Litterae 
obscurorum  virorum,"  was  not  approved  by  those,  who  wrote 
letters  of  the  kind  exposed  to  ridicule.  What  I  should  be  glad 
to  see,  if  I  live  a  little  longer,  would  be  a  Code  of  Good 
Methods  of  Evangelization,  and  a  list  of  those  to  be  avoided. 
I  have  supplied  some  material  :  let  my  work  be  the  debris  of 
rubbish,  on  which  the  good  building  will  be  erected.  I  know 
how  hard  abuses,  and  prejudices,  die :  I  can  almost  hear  the 
strictures,  uttered  in  certain  rooms  in  London,  uttered  by  the 
very  persons,  whom  I  have  described,  though  not  by  name,  as 
the  offenders ;  but  it  was  unnecessary  to  mention  the  name,  for 
they  must  feel,  that  to  them  the  stricture  applies.  Those  five 
Methods,  Jealous  retention  of  power  by  the  Home-Committee, 
Industrial  Missions,  Secular  high-class  Education,  Early  Marriage 
of  Missionaries,  and  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh,  may  in  course  of 
time  be  recognised,  as  the  most  powerful  enemies  of  Evange- 
lization. 

I  mentioned  to  a  Secretary  of  a  great  Missionary-Society,  that 
I  was  publishing  a  book,  commenting  severely  on  the  Methods 
of  Evangelization,  and  the  conduct  of  Missionary-Societies :  I 
expected  to  be  rebuked,  but  I  found  a  blessing:  the  reply  was, 
'*  you  cannot  make  your  remarks  too  strong";  in  fact  all  feel, 
that  the  present  system  is  most  unsatisfactory.  Should  the 
accuracy  of  my  statements  with  regard  to  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh 
at  U-Ganda  be  questioned,  I  find  a  singular  confirmation  in  the 
account  of  the  May  Meeting  of  the  Church-Missionary-Society, 
1894.  The  President  referred  with  satisfaction  to  the  success 
of  the  efforts  of  the  members  of  the  Committee,  and  Society,  in 
stirring  up  public  opinion  on  the  U-Ganda  question ;  that  is  to  say, 
by  the  instrumentality  of  Meetings,  Sermons,  Writings,  the 
British  Nation  had  been  induced  to  put  forth  its  strength, 
and  unwisely  annex  a  Kingdom  in  Central  Africa,  using  force 
of  arms,  and  slaying  of  men  and  women,  in  order  that  Christ's 
message  of  Peace  might  be  conveyed  to  the  Natives  by  two 
rival  camps  of  Missionaries,  each  ready  to  destroy  the  other. 
Such  a  phenomenon  has  never  been  seen  in  Protestant  Missions 
before. 


(     286     ) 

There  let  it  rest :  liberavi  animum  meiim.  There  can  be  no 
manner  of  doubt,  that,  as  in  Manufacture,  Commerce,  Navigation, 
and  Colonization,  so  also  in  Evangelization,  the  Anglo-Saxon 
race  on  either  side  of  the  Atlantic  is  unrivalled.  Prayer  and 
Praise  to  the  Lord  of  Heaven  and  Earth,  and  reading  and 
teaching  of  the  Word  of  God,  are  heard  at  every  hour  of  the  day, 
in  all  the  chief  languages  of  the  world,  in  every  part  of  the 
world  accessible  to  the  Anglo-Saxon,  by  every  race  of  mankind, 
black,  brown,  yellow,  red,  or  white,  under  the  leadership  of 
English-speaking  Missionaries.  The  motive  is  of  the  best  that 
can  be  found  in  the  human  breast.  Love  to  our  Fellow-creatures, 
Love  to  our  God.  I  place  them  in  that  order  intentionally: 
what  choicest  present  could  we  make  to  our  dearest  friend  ?  in 
what  form  could  Pity  for  the  lost  and  suffering  more  completely 
express  itself.?  How  small  seem  other  acts  of  benevolence,  or 
of  self-sacrifice  7  How  small  seems  Patriotism,  when  weighed 
in  this  scale  ? 

*'  For  we  best  love  our  God  and  Father,  when 
**  We  most  entirely  love  our  Fellow-men." 

I  lay  down  my  pen  on  the  eve  of  the  great  Missionary- 
Conference  of  the  Church  of  England.  At  one  time  I  was 
tempted  to  delay  the  publication  of  this  volume  until  I  had  the 
opportunity  of  reading  the  Reports  and  Proceedings  of  this 
remarkable  gathering.  But  Time  is  against  me  at  the  age  of 
seventy-three,  so  I  close  my  book  without  that  advantage  :  if 
well,  as  I  wished ;  if  not  so  good,  as  far  as  I  was  able. 

London,  May  zbth,  1894.. 

ROBERT  N.  CUST, 

Member  of  Committee  of  Missionary-Conference  of 
Church  of  England  of  1 894, 

Lav  Secretary  of  Board  of  Missions  of  the  Province 
of  Canterbury. 


(     287     ) 


APPENDIX 


I.  A  Plea  for  the  poor  non-Christian  World. 
II.  Five  Signs  of  a  True  Missionary. 
III.  Suggestions  for  emendation  of  Missionary-Methods. 


A  PLEA  FOR  THE  POOR  NON-CHRISTIAN  WORLD. 

One  word  to  any  young  man,  who  is  starting  out  to  be  a 
Missionary.  Of  all  professions  his  is  the  most  noble,  the  most 
elevating,  and  at  the  same  time  the  most  difficult,  and  the  most 
exposed  to  the  risk  of  failure.  The  majority  of  young  men  are 
not  highly  educated,  and  have  no  knowledge  of  the  world  :  of 
blameless  character  themselves  they  have  not  been  acquainted 
with  the  blameworthy  conduct  of  Christians  exposed  to  tempta- 
tion. They  come  suddenly  face  to  face  with  an  entirely  new 
environment,  totally  different  from  the  humdrum  middle-class 
life,  to  which  they  have  been  used  :  all  is  a  surprise.  The 
man,  with  whom  they  have  to  deal ;  the  language,  which  they 
have  to  hear  and  use ;  the  Religious  Conceptions,  with  which 
they  have  to  contend,  are  wonderful,  and  undreamt  of,  novelties. 

The  native  man,  however  humble  in  circumstances,  and 
devoid  of  Culture,  is  still  as  much  an  individual  as  the  Mis- 
sionary :  he  has  the  same  fundamental  conception  of  Self,  of 
the  World,  and  of  God  :  language  is  the  vehicle  of  his  commu- 
nication with  the  World  and  his  fellow-creatures  :  Religion  is  the 
funnel,  through  which  his  thoughts  go  up  to  God  :  he  is  per- 
fectly innocent  of  having  taken  any  part  in  settling  the  Environ- 
ment, the  Language,  or  the  Religion,  to  which  he  finds  himself 
bound  from  the  day  of  his  birth  :  it  never  occurs  to  him  to 
change,  or  wish  to  change,  either,  any  more  than  the  colour  of 
his  skin,  or  the  fashion  of  such  garments,  as  he  wears,  if  he 
wears  any.  It  is  of  no  use  abusing  him  for  being  what  he  is  : 
he  did  not  make  himself,  or  his  surroundings,  or  his  powers  of 
utterance,  or  his  Conception  of  God. 


(     288     ) 

Since  the  commencement  of  the  World  many  great,  powerful, 
and  wise,  races  have  sprung  up,  blossomed,  brought  forth  fruit 
in  the  imperishable  literary  and  architectural  Monuments,  which 
they  have  left  behind,  and  passed  away  without  any  knowledge 
of  the  true  Nature  of  the  Great  God,  and  of  His  great  plan  of 
Salvation  for  man.  Here  is  a  great  fact :  they  never  had  the 
chance  of  being  Christians :  we  cannot  believe,  that  they  have 
gone  to  perdition.  Can  the  Ruler  of  the  Universe  do  what  is 
not  right,  and  not  be  merciful  to  His  poor  creatures  ?  They 
used  the  talents  entrusted  to  them,  and  had  nothing  beyond. 

Since  the  great  Anno  Domini,  when  in  the  Fulness  of  Time 
came  the  Saviour,  countless  Millions  have  been  born,  lived,  and 
died,  in  entire  ignorance  of  the  great  Truth.  Is  this  to  be 
placed  at  their  door  as  a  fault  ? 

Language  was  given  to  man  to  differentiate  him  from  the 
animals,  and  to  communicate  with  his  fellow-creatures.  Some 
forms  of  speech  are  mellifluous,  and  capable  of  expressing  any 
possible  idea ;  others  fail  both  in  euphony,  and  word-store :  is 
the  Missionary  to  abuse  them,  or  talk  lightly  of  them,  as  if  they 
had  had  anything  to  do  with  selecting,  or  forming,  their  lan- 
guage }  They  used  it  without  knowing  what  it  was.  The 
Missionary  had  nothing  to  do  with  forrriing  his  own  wonderful 
language  :  it  was  given  to  him  ready  made. 

Religion  was  given  to  man  still  further  to  differentiate  him 
from  animals,  who  have  no  future  state,  and  to  enable  him  to 
communicate  with  his  Heavenly  Father.  No  tribe  is  so  debased, 
that  it  has  not  a  sense  of  the  Supernatural,  and  some  Conception 
of  a  Future  after  Death.  Their  oral  traditions,  their  practices, 
and  their  sacred  books,  testify  to  this.  Through  Generations 
and  Centuries,  they  have  adhered  to  their  old  Religious  Con- 
ceptions, and  still  hold  fast  to  them,  as  part  of  their  very  lives. 
Are  they  to  be  abused,  because  they  do  not  at  once  listen  to  the 
imperfectly-stated  arguments  of  a  young  Preacher  from  a  foreign 
land,  speaking  their  language  imperfectly  } 

As  time  went  on,  their  Religious  Conceptions  have  become 
frightfully  degraded  :  such  is  the  fate  of  all  Religions,  when 
Ignorance  accompanies  it :  and  Priestcraft,  the  great  curse  of 
Mankind,  comes  into  existence,  substituting  Liturgies  and 
Ritual  for  Virtue,  and  Morality.  The  scathing  words  of  R6nan 
in  his  fifth  and  posthumous  volume  of  *'  Le  Peuple  d'lsrael," 
are  then,  and  then  only,  true : 

**  La  Religion  est  une  Imposture  necessaire.  Les  plus  gros 
**  moyens  de  jeter  de  la  poudre  aux  yeux  ne  peuvent  etre  negliges 
*'  avec  une  aussi  sotte.  race,  que  I'espece  humaine,  cr^e  pour 
'*  I'erreur,  et  qui,  quand  elle  admet  la  Verite,  ne  I'admet  jamais 
"  pour  les  bonnes  raisons." 

Priestcraft  has  degraded  all  the  ancient  Religions,  and  even 


(     289     ) 

some  forms  of  Christianity:  I  have  visited  the  Greek  shrine  of 
the  Virgin  at  Troitska,  near  Moscow  in  Russia,  the  shrine  of 
the  Virgin  at  Loretto  in  Italy,  and  the  shrine  of  Parbati,  or 
Lakshmi,  at  Banaras  in  India,  and  I  could  see  a  resemblance 
in  the  symbols,  and  the  worship,  of  all,  for  they  all  told  the 
tale  of  degraded  Superstition  :  it  is  the  same  poor  grovelling 
human  worship,  whether  in  Europe,  or  in  Asia,  or  in  Africa. 

But  upon  this  in  the  last  days  of  the  Nineteenth  Century  a 
new  complication  has  arisen  in  the  birth  of  a  brood  of  new 
Religious  Conceptions,  more  suited  to  the  modern  human 
intellect ;  at  the  same  time  Secular  Education,  and  Civilization, 
are  purging  the  imagination  of  any  belief  in  the  Supernatural ; 
the  same  deluge  overwhelms  the  Veda,  and  the  Old  Testament. 
Nothing  is  believed,  that  cannot  be  proved  by  evidence,  as  in  a 
Court  of  Justice. 

The  Missionary  has  to  face  this  state  of  things,  and  he  is  with 
rare  exceptions  totally  unfit  for  the  combat,  but  he  can  at  least 
abstain  from  saying  unkind  things  of  the  poor  non-Christian 
world,  of  whom  he  knows  so  little. 

Let  him  ask  himself,  who  is  the  barbarian :  the  imperfectly- 
clad  African,  who  had  never  the  chance  of  altering  his  lot,  or 
the  European  creature,  who  struts  down  the  streets  of  a  city 
decorated,  or  clad,  in  the  furs  of  a  wild  beast,  the  skin  of  a  seal, 
the  feathers  of  a  bird,  the  manufactured  fibre  of  a  worm,  or  of  a 
plant.  The  Art  of  Painting,  and  Sculpture,  would  readily  prefer 
the  nude  figure  of  the  African,  or  the  imperfectly-clad  figure  of 
the  Asiatic,  to  the  grotesque,  and  ridiculous,  apparel  of  the 
European.  Let  him  ask  himself,  '*  who  is  the  atheist  and  unbe- 
liever.-^" the  man,  who  never  had  the  opportunity  of  knowing 
Christ,  or  the  man,  who,  nominally  a  Christian,  dishonours  his 
Master  by  his  want  of  Belief,  or  openly  expresses  contempt  of 
His  Precepts.  A  bad  Christian  is  something  infinitely  worse 
than  a  bad  Heathen. 

The  Heathen  man,  in  spite  of  all  his  infirmities,  is  still  formed 
and  fashioned  in  the  image  of  the  Most  High  ;  and  evidence, 
gleaned  from  all  the  races  of  the  world,  and  in  all  times,  shows, 
that  the  Heathen  man  feels  after  God,  if  haply  he  can  find  Him, 
and  his  heart  turns  to  his  Creator,  even  as  the  sunflower  turns  to 
the  Sun,  and  he  knows  not  why.  In  his  humble  way  the  Heathen 
looks  forward  to  a  Heaven  adapted  to  his  merits,  or  demerits,  or 
his  necessities :  he  has  Faith  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  die  for 
his  Faith  :  he  is  not  a  Christian,  because  the  Ruler  of  mankind 
has  not  ruled,  that  he  should  have  a  chance  of  being  so  :  he  is 
ignorant,  because  his  environment  is  such,  as  God  has  ordained 
for  him,  and  because  his  more  enlightened  fellow-creatures  have 
had  no  thought  for  him,  and,  though  they  have  received  the 
parting  commands  of  the  Saviour,  had  not  thought  it  worth  their 

19 


(     290     ) 

while  to  obey  them.  Christians  are  to  blame,  not  the  poor 
Heathen  :  he  is  an  object  of  Pity,  and  Love,  and  Sympathy. 
The  wonder  is,  that  he  is  so  good  as  those,  who  know  him  best, 
find  him  to  be,  and  the  reason  is,  that  his  Heavenly  Father  has 
not  left  Himself  entirely  without  a  witness,  that  His  Son  died 
for  him,  and  all  mankind,  and  that  the  Holy  Spirit  still  hovers 
round,  ready  to  take  up  His  abode  in  each  of  God's  poor  children, 
as  soon  as  the  so-called  *'  God's  people"  in  Europe  succeed  in 
finding  a  way  to  their  hearts  by  words  of  Human  Love,  and 
Divine  Wisdom :  hitherto  we  have  failed.  Much  has  been  left 
undone ;  and  much  has  been  done  badly :  let  us  find  out  the 
more  excellent  way ;  place  our  hands  on  our  mouth,  and  each 
one  cry  out,  "  Mea  Culpa  !     Mea  Culpa !  " 

Let  all  recollect,  both  Christian  and  non-Christian,  or  pseudo- 
Christian,  that  the  knell  of  the  Book-Religions,  and  the  Nature- 
Worships,  which  preceded  them,  has  rung:  whether  Christianity 
will  take  their  place  is  a  graver  question,  which  may  have  two, 
or  more,  answers.  A  platform-speaker  eloquently  and  truly  de- 
scribed the  growth  of  a  tree  destroying  an  old  Temple  in 
Kashmir,  which  had  survived  the  attacks  of  Time  for  Centuries. 
Thus  is  Christianity  quietly  and  gradually  undermining  the  vast 
edifice  of  Heathenism  ;  in  the  end  it  will  topple  over,  as  this 
ancient  Temple  will  do  also.  During  a  tour  in  North  India 
nearly  fifty  years  ago  I  accompanied  one  of  the  wisest,  and  most 
pious,  of  Governors,  James  Thomason,  in  a  morning-ride.  We 
drew  rein  before  the  ruins  of  a  Castle,  and  a  Temple,  crowned 
with  luxurious  foliage,  and  sinking  into  nothing  under  the  gentle 
hand  of  Natural  Decay.  "  What  a  lesson,"  said  he,  "  this 
**  teaches  us  !  Temple  and  Tower  have  gone  to  the  ground 
"  under  the  pressure  of  the  advance  of  Human  Culture,  and 
"  Divine  Influences:  how  much  better  it  is,  than  if  the  one  had 
"  been  desecrated  by  a  fanatic  iconoclast,  and  the  other  had 
"  exhibited  the  signs  of  a  savage  bombardment !  " 

I  close  with  a  quotation  from  **  Wisdom  of  Solomon,"  cap.  xi. 
vv.  23-26 ;  it  is  the  last  echo  of  Jewish  thought,  accepted 
as  "profitable  for  example  of  life"  by  the  Christian  Church, 
and  written  probably  in  the  first  decade  after  the  death  of  our 
Lord. 

**  But  Thou  hast  mercy  upon  all ;  for  Thou  canst  do  all 
**  things,  and  winkest  {Trafwpa^)  at  the  sins  of  men,  because,  (in 
**  order  that)  they  should  amend.  For  thou  lovest  all  the  things, 
'*  that  are,  and  ahhorreth  nothing  which  Thou  hast  made  :  for  never 
•*  would  Thou  have  made  anything,  if  Thou  had  hated  it.  And 
'*  how  could  anything  have  endured,  if  it  had  not  been  Thy  Will  ? 
**  or  been  preserved,  if  not  called  by  Thee  ?  But  Thou  sparest 
**  all :  for  they  are  Thine,  O  Lord,  Thou  Lover  of  Souls." 


(     291     ) 


FIVE  SIGNS  OF  A  TRUE  MISSIONARY. 


Dr.  George  Smith,  **  Conversion  of  India,"  189^,  p.  172,  lays 
down  the  following  five  signs  of  a  true  Missionary : 

I.  Must  be  conscious   of  a  Call,    no   secondary  motive,   no 
unworthy  aim,  such  as  love  of  knowledge,  desire  to  marry, 
~  desire  to  travel,  a  legitimate  hope  of  position,  or  reputa- 
tion, or  of  pleasantly  convenient  work. 

II.  Must  covet  the  best  gifts,  qualify  himself  for  the  highest 
efficiency ;  study  to  the  full  measure  of  his  powers, 
considering  them  a  shadow,  and  praying,  that  they  do 
not  prove  a  temptation  ;  if  not  a  College-man  he  must 
be  master  of  his  particular  craft. 

III.  Must  follow  the  more  Noble  Way  of  Love :    he  must  love 

the  dark  races  with  such  a  Love,  as  that  with  which 
Christ  loved  the  world ;  he  must  show  sympathy, 
patience,  tenderness,  heavenly  wisdom  ;  he  must  show 
good  temper  to  his  brethren,  and  have  charity  to  all  in 
all  its  breadth  of  humility,  self-sacrifice,  and  geniality. 

IV.  Must   learn   habits   of  order  in   person,   study,   accounts, 

business,  so  as  to  economize  resources,  and  utilize  time 
for  work,  rest,  recreation.  Want  of  common-sense,  as 
well  as  want  of  charity,  is  an  obstruction  to  the  Kingdom 
of  Heaven. 

V.  Must  give  himself  to  Prayer,  and  reading  of  the  Word,  and 
cultivation  of  Personal  Religion. 


(     292     ) 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR  EMENDATION   OF  MISSIONARY 
METHODS. 


PAGE 

1.  Have  nothing  to  do  with   the  Civil-Rulers   of  Great 

Britain,  or  the  United  States,  or  the  countries,  where 
the  Missionary  works :  never  appeal  to  the  Arm  of 
the  Flesh,  either  to  annex  a  country,  as  in  U-Ganda, 
to  give  compensation  for  losses,  as  in  China,  to  exert 
political  influence,  as  in  Turkey  and  Oceania :  it  is 
unworthy  of  a  Christian  Missionary.  He  ought  to 
trust  in  the  Arm  of  the  Almighty  alone.  (Isaiah, 
xxxvi,  6.) 43  to  70 

2.  Reorganize  the  Home-Committees  of  Administration  : 

reduce  the  paid  Secretaries  to  their  proper  position, 
as  ministers,  and  limit  the  term  of  their  Office  to  ten 
years :  have  only  two  grades,  (i)  General  Committee, 
(2)  Geographical  sub-Committee:  let  the  decision 
of  the  latter  be  final,  unless  challenged  in  the  General : 
weigh  votes,  do  not  count  them  :  let  the  power  of 
the  General  Committee  not  be  to  overrule,  but  to 
send  back  to  the  Geographical  sub-Committee  for 
reconsideration  for  reasons  given  :  admit  Women 
as  members  of  Committee,  and  sub-Committee         .  125 

3.  Decentralize:  give   enlarged   constitutional   powers  to 

the  Local  Committee  in  the  Field,  subject  to  report 
and  control :  this  will  reduce  the  work,  and  expense, 
of  the  Home-Office,  and  get  rid  of  some  Secretaries, 
and  Clerks 135 

4.  Reorganize  the  Deputation-System :  old  men  are  of  no 

use  on  the  staff:  the  post  should  only  be  held  for 
ten  years,  and  then  vacated :  let  more  members  of 
the  Committee  take  a  share  of  Deputation-work  at 
their  own  charges.  Stir  up  the  Local  Clergy,  and 
Laymen,  to  help 141 


(     293     ) 

PAGE 

5.  Get  rid  of  the  Children's  Home:  where  Missionaries 

require  assistance,  let  an  allowance  be  made  to  them, 
but  not  to  those,  whose  friends  are  quite  able  to 
support  their  young  relations.    (I  Timothy,  v,  8,  16.)  147 

6.  Appoint  two  Members  of  the  Association  to  exercise 

power  analogous  to  that  of  the  Auditors  of  the  Local 
Government  Board,  to  disallow  all  improper  expendi- 
ture not  within  the  scope  of  the  objects  of  the  Association, 
and  make  the  Members  of  the  Committee,  who  voted, 
pay  up  that  amount :  it  will  serve  them  right     .         '157 


7.  Alter  the  style,  and  even  the  dialect,  of  the  Reports, 
and  Publications  :  omit  all  sermons,  and  lists  of  con- 
tributions :  the  account  to  be  given  is  of  the  noblest 
Warfare,  and  most  important  enterprise,  that  the 
world  ever  saw  :  why  tell  the  story  in  a  goody-goody, 
Pharisaical,  non-natural,  sensational,  style  ?  why 
quote  Scripture,  and  use  common-form  cant  terms  ? 
why  use  the  Divine  Name  two  or  three  times  in  each 
page  ?  to  say  the  least  it  is  bad  literary  style :  no 
good  writer  of  a  leading  Article,  or  a  Magazine- 
Article,  or  a  serious  Book,  would  be  tolerated,  if  he 
stated  facts  in  this  fashion.  How  comes  it,  that  there 
are  no  failures  of  character,  or  policy?  Are  these 
Reports,  and  Tracts,  written  to  deceive  an  emotional 
public  ?  Let  the  Report  be  short :  it  will  cost  less, 
and  be  read  more 159 


Spend  more  money  on  the  Training  of  Men,  and  Women, 
for  the  Work :  let  the  Vocation  be  deemed  a  life-call, 
not  a  pastime  :  let  the  names  of  those,  who  abandon 
their  Vocation  to  suit  their  own  whims,  be  marked 
with  opprobium.  Nothing  but  a  Medical  certificate 
of  absolute  unfitness  absolves  a  Missionary  from  the 
obligation,  which  he  has  voluntarily  taken  on  himself. 
Consider  the  contrast,  evidenced  by  the  conduct  of 
the  Missionaries  of  the  Church  of  Rome:  there  is 
no  sneaking  home  in  their  case         .         .         .         .195 


Do  not  allow  the  Missionary  to  become  a  busybody, 
meddling  with  other  people's  affairs :  let  him  keep 
to  his  own  holy  duties,  and  have  no  thought,  but 
for  Christ,  and  the  lost  sheep.     (I  Peter,  iv,  15.)       .  20! 


(     294     ) 

PAGE 

10.  Let  no  male-Missionary  marry  till  he  has  had  ten  years' 

service  in  the  Field.  Encourage  Brotherhoods  and 
Sisterhoods,  as  a  matter  of  administrative  convenience 
and  economy 210 

11.  Let  young  Missionaries  be  taught  to  refrain  from  abus- 

ing the  Natives,  and  their  Religions  ;  if  they  write 
home  in  such  style,  let  them  be  reproved :  at  any 
rate  let  not  their  foolish  letters  be  published :  old 
Missionaries  rarely  do  so  :  it  is  very  discreditable 
to  the  good  sense  and  Christian  character  of  the 
writers,  and  the  compiler  of  the  Reports   .        ,        .  260 


(     295     ) 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX  OF  PARTS,   CHAPTERS, 
SECTIONS. 


PAGE 

Arm  of  the  Flesh        43 

Arrogant  to  Natives 222 

Association  or  Society       . .      . .   125 


B 


Bad  Methods       

Baptism  of  Slaves  purchased 
Baptism  :  new  conditions  . . 
Barracks  for  Converts 
Bible-teaching  omitted 
Board  of  Missions 


42 

73 
80 

99 
74 
[24 


Civil,  Military,    or    Diplomatic, 

Interference      43 

Conversion,  modes  of        . .      . .     72 
Credulousness  of  any  new  story     92 
Customs :    tilting    against    legal 
native        241 


Defying  laws  of  country     . .      . .  235 

Degradation  of  Gospel-teaching  76 

Deputations 141 

Destruction  of  places  of  worship  68 

Difficulties  of  Conversion  . .      . .  76 

Disloyal  to  Home-Committee   . .  234 
Duty,  work  other  than 


Education,  injurious  Western   . , 
Endowments        , 


275 


93 
60 


F 


Fads 

Field,  Missions  in 
Financial  Department 


PAGE 

.  276 
.  170 
.   147 


Good  Methods 10 


Ideas,  imposing  Western 

Immorality 

Intolerance 


272 

271 

62 


Low  Culture,  and  Denseness,  of 
Converts 87 


M 

Marrying  early,  Missionaries 
Material  advantages  offered 
Material  help  from  God     . . 
Material  status  of  Converts 
Matrimony  of  Converts 
Methods  not  recommended 
Missions  very  small     . . 

N 


210 
74 

105 
96 
89 

15 
171 


Native  Agents 181 

Native  Church 186 

New  work  taken  up  in  neglect  of 

old 278 

Non-Christian  places  of  worship  276 


(     296     ) 


O 

PAGE 

Opposition 117 

P 

Pagan  notions  of  Converts        . .  79 

Parental  rights  of  non- Christians  109 

Political  schemes         70 

Prisoners  in  Public  Gaols  . .      . .  278 

Publications 1 59 

R 

Relapse  of  Converts 84 

Ridiculing    non-Christian    Reli- 
gions    260 

S 

Secular  Methods 16 


PAGE 

Secular  offices  and  honours       . .  248 

Self-supporting  Missions    ..      ..  174 

Sins  of  non-Christian  World     , .  100 

Society  of  Secular  white  men    . .  251 

Solitary  Mission-Stations   . .      . .  172 

Spiritual  Methods       27 

Sympathy,  absence  of 227 

T 

Tribal  Conversion       72 

U 

Union  of  Denominations   ..      ..  iii 

Unpaid  Agents 191 

V 

Vocation,  throwing  up       . .      . .  243 


P^^^ 


OY  THB 


UHIVBRSITT 


&£I 


PO" 


STEPHEN   AUSTIN   AND  SONS,    PRINTERS,   HERTFORD. 


MISSIONARY    WARNINGS 


FOR     THE 


TWENTIETH     CENTURY. 


No.    2. 


(Honcnl^  in  griti^h  Jndia. 


iririVBRs 


^im.^ 


BY 


ROBERT     NEEDHAM     CUST,     LL.D. 


SERVUS    SERVO  RUM, 


ARCIS    DIVINE   SUPER   MUROS   HUMILIS   SPECULATOR  CCELI    PR^SAGIA 
PROSPICIT,    ET   FIDELITER   DENUNTIAT. 


FOR    PRIVATE    CIRCULATION, 


K 

%-"' 


[894. 


MISSIONARY    WARNINGS. 

No.  I.     THE    ADOLESCENCE    OF  A    NATIVE    CHURCH 
IN  NON-CHRISTIAN  LANDS. 

1892. 


ukivbrsitt; 


THE    CIVIL    DISABILITIES    OF    CHRISTIAN 
CONVERTS   IN   BRITISH   INDIA. 


There  is  no  doubt,  that,  as  long  as  the  world  lasts,  a  change 
made  in  the  ancestral  Religion  will  be  prejudicial  to  the  social 
status,  the  means  of  livelihood,  and  the  domestic  relations,  of 
the  person,  whom  his  new  friends  hail,  as  a  Convert,  and  his 
old  associates  curse,  and  excommunicate,  as  a  Pervert.  An 
American  Bishop  told  us  in  one  of  the  Sectional  Meetings  of 
the  Missionary-Conference,  that  the  Mormonite  Polygamists  of 
Utah  get  their  extra  wives  in  great  number  from  Christian 
England,  and  Wales.  No  doubt  the  daughter  of  an  English 
Clergyman,  or  a  pious  Layman,  who  was  talked  over  to  join 
the  Mormonite  Sect,  would  leave  her  home,  and  neighbour- 
hood, as  an  object  of  scorn,  hate,  and  deprivation  of  her 
share  of  the  parental  inheritance.  The  same  would  be  the 
fate  of  an  English  youth,  who  became  a  Mahometan.  We 
can  only  realize  the  exact  merits  of  a  case  by  bringing 
home  analogous  circumstances  to  our  mind.  The  Christian 
Religion  in  England  is  comparatively  modern,  compared  with 
the  antiquity  of  the  Zoroastrian,  Brahminical,  Buddhist,  and 
Confucianist,  Religious  Beliefs  in  different  parts  of  Asia. 

Let  us  enquire  what  the  Master  says  : 

**  In  the  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation,"  etc. — John  xvi.  33. 

**  He  that  loveth  Father  and  Mother  more  than  me,"  etc. — 
Matthew  x.  37. 

*'  Everyone  that  has  forsaken  houses,  or  brethren,  or  children, 
*'  or  lands,  for  My  Name's  sake,  shall  receive  an  hundred-fold, 
**  and  inherit  everlasting  life." — Matthew  xix.  29. 
The  same  sentiment  appears  throughout  the  Gospels,  and  the 
Epistles. 

The  professors  of  the  Ancient  National  quietist  Religions, 
and  also  the  great  worldwide  Propagandist  Doctrine  of  Buddha, 
were  ever  tolerant :  if  left  alone,  they  would  leave  others  alone. 
A  renegade  Jew  would  have  received  no  quarter,  no  pity,  no 
inheritance,  from  his  own  relations  and  countrymen:  the 
Stoning  of  Stephen  in  the  Christian  era  evidences  this.  The 
Greek,  and  Roman,  were  ever  tolerant.     Christianity  began  the 


(     4     ) 

practice  in  Europe  of  Intolerance,  Confiscation,  and  Disabilities. 
Islam  followed  her  example  in  Asia  and  Africa.  Our  position 
is  singular  in  claiming  for  Converts  to  our  own  Religion 
immunities,  which  until  a  very  late  period  the  Church  of 
England  never  allowed  to  the  Jew,  the  Nonconformist,  the 
Romanist,  or  the  Convert  from  Christianity  to  Mahometanism. 

In  Turkey,  or  Persia,  or  any  independent  Mahometan 
country.  Death,  and  Confiscation  of  goods,  have  always  been 
the  recognised  consequence  of  change  of  Faith.  This  severity 
is  gradually  passing  away,  as  far  as  the  Executive  Government, 
and  the  Courts  of  La\y,  are  concerned,  but,  as  outbreaks  of 
popular  fury  and  an  enraged  Priesthood  have  to  be  reckoned 
with,  successors  of  Stephen  are  still  stoned,  and  successors 
of  James  are  still  killed  by  the  sword. 

In  British  India,  on  the  occupation  of  the  different  Provinces, 
not  only  absolute  toleration  of  all  forms  of  Religious  Conceptions 
was  guaranteed,  but  the  Hindu  and  Mahometan  Law,  and 
Customs  having  the  force  of  Law,  as  regards  Matrimony,  and 
Inheritance,  were  declared  to  be  the  personal  Law  of  every 
inhabitant  of  the  country,  so  long  as  the  paramount  Laws 
of  the  Human  Race  were  not  violated :  that  is  to  say  the 
burning  of  widows,  and  slaying  of  daughters,  both  of  which 
Customs  were  part  of  the  Law  relating  to  Matrimony,  were 
forbidden,  as  being  Murder.  It  has  taken  half  a  Century  to 
tread  down  these  Customs. 

Just  before  the  Mutinies  of  1857  ^  Law  was  passed,  declaring, 
that  the  succession  to  ancestral  property  was  not  forfeited  by 
change  of  Religion  :  this  was  a  very  strong  departure  from  the 
original  guarantees  :  it  is  notorious,  that  in  past  Centuries  the 
Hindus,  who  became  Mahometans,  did  not  forfeit  their  estates : 
it  so  happens,  that  Christian  converts  generally  belong  to  the 
poorest  classes,  and  claims  to  landed  property,  or  valuable 
chattels,  are  rare. 

About  the  same  time  a  Law  was  passed,  declaring  the  issue  of 
a  Hindu  widow,  who  remarried,  to  be  legitimate :  the  Law  has 
been  practically  inoperative :  I  never  heard  of  a  case. 

These  Laws  affected  property  and  status,  but  the  real  trouble 
of  a  Convert  in  the  Nineteenth  Century  is  to  retain  possession 
of  his  wife  and  children,  and  this  trouble  existed  in  the  time  of 
our  Lord,  as  evidenced  by  His  Words  quoted  above.  Can  modern 
Christian  Legislation  remove  the  difficulty  ?  is  it  wise  to  do  so  ? 
will  true  Christianity  gain  by  it  ? 

The  state  of  British  India  is  at  the  present  moment  not  satis- 
factory. The  air  is  full  of  rumours  :  a  period  of  unrest,  if  not  of 
open  disturbance,  seems  to  be  near  at  hand.  The  Population  of 
the  country  during  the  half  Century  of  Pax  Britannica  has  increased 
at  the  rate  of  three  Millions  annually,  and  the  general  poverty 
has  increased  also  :  War  has  ceased  :  Pestilence  and  Famine  are 
kept  under  control.     Twenty-two  Millions  of  Widows  are  the 


(     5     ) 

result  of  the  Law  abolishing  Widow-burning :  a  large  number  of 
unmarried  females  is  the  result  of  forbidding  the  practice  of 
killing  daughters  in  high-caste  families  :  the  land  is  overrun  with 
lepers,  as  the  result  of  forbidding  the  burying-alive  of  lepers  ; 
and  lepers  have  families  of  young  children  :  there  can  be  no 
doubt,  that  we  were  right  in  doing  what  we  did,  but  we  have 
to  cope  with  the  consequences.  Well-intentioned,  benevolent 
people  in  England  have  commenced  a  system  of  worrying  the 
people  of  India  about  their  Marriage-Customs,  their  use  of 
stimulants,  and  sedatives,  and  now  a  palpable  injustice  has  been 
inflicted  on  a  great  Country  with  a  population  of  275  Millions  for 
the  benefit  of  the  Manufacturing  interests  of  the  small  population 
of  England  by  forbidding  British  India  to  tax  imports  from 
Lancashire.  The  Native  Press  is  active,  unbridled,  and  out- 
spoken. Up  to  this  time  there  has  been  no  breach  of  the  absolute 
enforcement  of  Religious  Toleration,  and  of  the  respect  to  the 
Customs  having  the  force  of  Law. 

Now  it  is  clear,  that  nothing  but  Legislation  can  remove 
the  disabilities,  or  such  portion  of  them,  as  come  within  the 
scope  of  Legislation.  This  implies,  that  a  pressure  is  desired 
to  be  brought  upon  the  India  Office,  and  the  Viceroy,  to  move 
them  to  "  do  something  "  :  what  ?  To  get  up  an  association, 
analogous  to  the  Anti-Opium-Society,  would  be  the  worst 
possible  policy :  it  would  exasperate  both  the  Government,  and 
the  People  Governed  :  who  should  bring  the  Pressure  to  bear  ? 
The  Missionaries  of  the  Church  of  England  are  inconsiderable, 
when  brought  into  comparison  with  those  of  the  Church  of 
Rome,  the  Nonconformist  Churches  of  India,  the  Churches 
of  Continental  Europe,  Scotland,  and  America;  and  it  would 
be  impossible  to  act  in  concert  with  the  Church  of  Rome,  and 
very  difficult  to  act  in  unison  with  the  other  Protestant  Churches, 
who  might  suggest  methods  and  remedies,  which  the  Church  of 
England  could  not  approve  of.  To  my  knowledge  one  Non- 
conformist Church  insists  upon  Converts  breaking  all  previous 
Marriage-Contracts,  and  starting  fresh  in  life  with  a  new 
Christian  wife.  Such  was  in  fact  the  practice  of  Jewish  Con- 
verts in  London,  when  admitted  into  the  Church  of  England,, 
until  only  a  few  years  ago,  when  I  helped  to  stop  the  practice. 

Nor  would  the  difficulty  end  here  :  We  base  our  claim  to  Justice 
on  the  highest  grounds,  that  a  man  or  woman  should  not  be 
deprived  of  their  consorts  and  children  on  account  of  a  change 
of  their  Religious  Conceptions :  this  would  apply  equally  to  the 
Hindu,  who  became  a  Mahometan,  or  a  Brahmo-Somajist, 
or  an  Arya-Somajist,  or  a  Theosophist,  or  a  Mormon,  or  a 
Unitarian,  or  any  new  form  of  Faith.  The  Mahometans  settle 
the  matter  absolutely  by  declaring  the  Marriage-Contract  made 
between  Mahometans  void,  if  one  or  other  of  the  contracting 
parties  cease  to  be  Mahometan,  and  that  condition  is  a  matter 
of  general  notoriety.    The  Contract  of  Marriages  between  Hindus 


(      6     ) 

is  indissoluble,  but  the  Christian  Convert  is  deprived  of  the 
society  of  his  wife,  and  care  of  his  children  :  this  circumstance 
is  also  a  matter  of  general  notoriety.  There  is  no  legal  process 
available  for  restitution  of  Conjugal  Rights,  nor  would  the 
Government  dare  to  order  the  Police  to  seek  for  the  wife,  as  for 
an  offender,  and  make  her  over  to  her  husband  :  such  a  course 
would  be  illegal  now,  and  such  Legislation  is  impossible.  I  put 
the  question  to  the  Laity  and  Clergy  of  England :  if  any  of  you 
had  a  daughter  married  to  a  man,  who  suddenly  became  a 
Mormonite,  or  a  Mahometan,  or  joined  one  of  the  Sects,  which 
deny  the  Divinity  and  Atonement  of  Christ,  would  not  the 
Parents  and  Relatives  of  the  wife  do  their  best  fairly,  or  foully, 
to  save  the  wife  and  the  little  children  from  what  appeared  to 
them  a  frightful  contamination  ?  Now  to  my  certain  knowledge 
such  is  the  feeling  of  the  Hindu,  and  Mahometan,  Parents  and 
Relatives,  when  the  man,  to  whom  one  of  their  family  is 
married,  becomes  a  Christian. 

The  alternative  is  to  set  the  man  free  from  the  Marriage- 
Contract,  and  enable  him  to  marry  somebody  else.  As  regards 
the  Conversion  to  Christianity  of  a  Hindu  this  has  been  done. 
In  1 864.-65  a  Law  to  this  effect  was  passed,  while  I  was  a 
Member  of  the  Legislative  Council  of  the  Viceroy,  and  in 
spite  of  my  strenuous  opposition.  The  Hindu  Convert  to 
Christianity  can  cite  his  wife  to  appear  before  the  Magistrate 
in  camera,  and  to  express  her  individual  feelings  on  the  subject, 
and  to  listen  to  the  conciliatory  advice  of  the  Magistrate :  if 
she  does  not  return  to  her  husband  within  a  year,  he  is  at 
liberty  to  re-marry.  This  presupposes,  that  the  Magistrate  is 
a  Christian:  this  was  the  case  in  1864-65  :  it  is  not  likely,  that 
a  Hindu,  or  Mahometan,  Magistrate  would  give  advice  in  the 
sense  desired  by  the  Christian  Convert. 

As  regards  Converts  to  Christianity  from  Mahometanism  no 
analogous  law  has  been  passed  :  I  have  consulted  my  friend  Sir 
William  Muir,  who  is  an  authority  on  such  matters,  and  he  agrees 
with  me,  that  the  Converts  from  Mahometanism  should  have  the 
same  privileges  as  the  Converts  from  Hinduism. 

So  much  for  the  Marriage-Contract :  if  the  wife  herself  elects, 
or  is  compelled  by  her  Relatives,  to  abandon  the  society  of  her 
husband,  the  Marriage-Contract  must  be  declared  cancelled. 
Personally  I  am,  and  was  always,  opposed  to  this  Law :  in  the 
Missionary-Conference  at  Lahore  in  1861  I  opposed  any  inter- 
ference;  in  the  Legislative  Council  of  the  Viceroy  in  1864  I 
opposed  the  Law,  but  it  has  been  thirty  years  in  force  for  the 
Hindu,  and  ought  to  be  extended  to  the  Mahometan. 

As  regards  the  custody  of  the  Children  of  tender  years,  we  may 
safely  leave  that  question  to  the  Courts  of  Law :  the  principles 
of  Jus  paterntim  are  thoroughly  understood.  Protestant  Mis- 
sionaries should  not  condescend  to  enter  into  Lawsuits  with 
non-Christians  only  for  the  sake  of  getting  an  influence  over 


(     7     ) 

young  children,  and  making  them  Christians.  This  is  the 
well-known  policy  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  which  will  spend 
hundreds  of  Pounds  to  get  a  child  out  of  the  clutches  of  Dr. 
Barnardo  :  if  a  man  wants  the  custody  of  his  children,  let  him 
sue  for  it ;  the  question  of  their  Religion  will  depend  on  them- 
selves. 

An  independent  grievance  is,  that  the  Christian  Convert, 
having  become  an  outcast,  is  deprived  of  the  use  of  the  wells  of 
the  village.  It  must  be  recollected,  that  the  water  is  drawn 
out  of  the  well  by  letting  down  a  brass  vessel  with  a  rope  into 
the  well,  and  this  is  a  difficulty,  for  obviously  the  vessel  of  an 
outcast  defiles  the  water  from  the  point  of  view  of  ceremonial 
purity.  But  in  most  villages  there  are  members  of  the  sweeper, 
and  other  helot,  classes,  who  are  outcasts,  and  they  must  have 
some  means  of  getting  their  water,  which  the  neo-Christian 
should  not  be  too  proud  to  share.  At  any  rate  no  Legislation  in 
this  question  is  possible.  The  wells  were  made  by  Hindus,  or 
Mahometans,  and  are  kept  in  repair  by  them,  and  the  lawful 
Custom  of  the  majority  of  the  inhabitants  must  be  respected. 
The  Christian  Converts  must  seek  another  dwelling-place.  The 
Master  has  spoken  on  this  subject  also. 

In  Southern  India  tyrannical  rules  are  put  forward,  compelling 
so-called  outcasts  to  wear  such-and-such  a  kind  of  dress,  or 
abstain  from  wearing  it ;  to  give  way  to  a  caste-man  in  the  Public 
Road  :  such  Customs  must  die  out :  the  Christian  Convert  is 
quite  able  to  vindicate  his  rights  on  such  matters  in  the  Courts 
of  Justice. 

A  great  lesson  is  being  taught  to  the  whole  population  by  the 
entire  absence  of  any  distinction  of  individuals,  one  from  another, 
in  the  State-Railways,  Ferries,  Schools,  Hospitals,  and  Courts  of 
Justice. 

The  conclusion,  that  I  have  arrived  at,  after  careful  reflection, 
is,  that  it  is  not  expedient  for  the  Board  of  Missions  to  move  in 
this  matter.  The  Native  Churches  in  India  are  quite  strong 
enough,  if  they  have  a  grievance,  to  state  it  by  Petition  to  the 
Governors  of  their  Province,  or  to  the  Legislative  Council,  and 
to  ventilate  the  matter  in  their  own  Public  Press,  or  in  Public 
Meetings  called  for  the  purpose.  It  it  utterly  impossible  to 
concede  anything  to  a  Christian  Convert,  which  is  not  conceded  to 
any  other  Native  of  India,  who  changes  his  Religious  Belief. 
Such  a  policy  would  be  unworthy  of  the  character  of  the  Govern- 
ment, and  the  settled  convictions  of  the  Nineteenth  Century. 
As  stated  above,  large  tribes  of  Hindus  during  the  Mahometan 
Empire  accepted  Mahometanism,  and  are  still  in  possession  of 
their  ancestral  lands.  Large  numbers  of  Hindus  have  in  times 
past  seceded  from  their  Ancestral  Religion,  and  Practices,  and 
have  become  Sectarians,  such  as  the  Sikhs  of  the  Panjab,  and 
many  others  less  well-known :  they  have  kept  their  ancestral 
lands.     There  is  now  a  new  crop  of  Religious  Beliefs,  entirely 


(      8     ) 

non-Christian,  such  as  the  Brahmo-Somaj,  Arya-Somaj,  neo- 
Buddhist,  Theosophist,  Mormonite,  Unitarian :  they  have  all 
a  right  to  the  same  civil  privileges :  before  long,  or  even  while  I 
write,  we  shall  have  Christian  Converts,  of  whom  the  Missionaries 
have  made  much  account,  passing  into  one  of  the  new-fangled 
Beliefs :  if  the  English  Christian  Official  either  by  legislative 
authority,  or  executive  power,  tears  away  the  children  of  Christian 
Converts  from  the  homes  of  their  non-Christian  Relatives,  what 
will  the  feelings  of  the  Christian  Church  be,  when  the  families 
of  Christian  Converts  are  torn  away  from  the  Christian  village, 
and  handed  over  to  Mormonites,  and  Theosophists  ?  In  the  pro- 
clamation of  the  Queen,  1858,  when  taking  over  India  from  the 
East  India  Company,  it  is  distinctly  stated,  that  we  must  do  unto 
others,  as  we  should  wish  men  to  do  unto  us.  We  are  in  an 
epoch  of  Intellectual,  and  Religious,  change :  when  a  Native 
Christian  wishes  to  marry  the  sister  of  his  deceased  wife,  and  his 
own  Pastor  will  not  marry  them,  he  merely  joins  another  flock 
of  neo-Christians,  where  this  license  is  allowed,  and  gets  married. 
It  appears  to  me  quite  impossible  for  the  Board  of  Missions  of 
but  a  fragment  of  the  great  Missionary-Army  to  take  any  steps 
in  the  matter. 

It  does  not  follow,  that  the  power  of  Christian  Europe  will 
continue  very  much  longer  in  India.  It  would  be  a  fatal  error 
to  leave  Christianity  in  a  "  White  Man  "  guise.  Of  all  Religions 
in  the  World  Christianity  is  allowed  by  those,  who  study  Religion 
scientifically,  to  be  the  one,  which  has  the  greatest  power  of 
adapting  itself  to  the  religious  wants  of  individuals,  nations,  and 
successive  generations  of  mankind,  or  in  other  words  to  be  the 
most  "  elastic  and  comprehensive  " :  it  has  no  **  Kaaba-stone," 
like  Mahometanism,  to  tie  it  to  Arabia ;  no  Pagan  illusions,  which 
it  cannot  get  rid  of,  like  Buddhism.  The  Government  of  India 
has  always  acted  as  the  benevolent,  and  impartial.  Ruler  of  its 
subjects,  and  it  may  be  depended  upon,  as  willing  to  give  relief 
to  all  those,  who  can  themselves  show  cause.  Nothing  could  be 
so  fatal  to  the  permanence  of  Christianity  amidst  the  Millions 
of  non-Christians,  as  the  idea,  that  Christianity  had  powerful 
friends,  and  advocates,  in  Europe,  that  it  was  the  **  White  Man's" 
Religion :  if  that  idea  gained  ground,  it  would  fade  away  with 
the  decay  of  European  Secular  Power,  instead  of  flourishing  for 
ever  with  indigenous  vitality,  as  the  Church  of  Christ. 

ROBERT    N.    OUST, 

Honorary  Lay  Secretary  of  Board  of  Missions 
of  Province  of  Canterbury. 
June  nth,  1894. 


STEPHEN  AUSTIN  AND  SONS,  PRINTEI 


univbrsitt; 


THE 

/ 


MATABELE- SCANDAL 


AND    ITS    CONSEQUENCES 


BY    ONE    WHO 


(i)  Remembers  the  Punishment  which  fell  upon  Cain 

FOR  Killing  his  Brother,  and 
(2)   is    Jealous    of    the    Honour    of    Great    Britain. 


Hast  thou  killed,  and  also  taken  possession  V — i  Kings ,  xxi.  19. 
What  was  the  fate  of  Ahah  ? 


Cave  CcBsar,  ne  damnum  accipias  ! 
What  was  the  fate  of  the  Roman  Empire  ? 


CONTENTS. 


CHAP.  •  PAGE 

I.      THE   MISERABLE   STOK.Y     ------  5 

II.      DANGER   TO   THE   EMPIRE    OF   GREAT   BRITAIN        -       -         1 9 

III.  INJURY   TO   THE   MORAL  CHARACTER  OF  THE  BRITISH 

NATION 23 

IV.  SURVEY   OF   AFRICA      -------29 

V.      MEETINGS  IN  LONDON  AND  AT  CAPE  TOWN  :    INTERESTS 

OF   THE   BRITISH    TAXPAYER  -  -  -  "35 

VI.      CONCLUSIONS         --------40 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  Miserable  Story. 

The  British  Tiger  has  tasted  blood,  and  returns  to  the 
banquet  of  blood,  as  usual,  under  the  mask  of  the  highest 
benevolence.  Last  year  was  distinguished  by  the  un- 
justifiable conduct  of  the  agents  of  the  Eastern  Equatorial 
African  Company  in  annexing  Uganda,  and  slaughtering 
the  Roman  Catholic  converts  of  the  French  Mission  in 
Victoria  Nyanza :  that  matter  is  not  settled  yet,  but  the 
usual  pretences  of  abolition  of  the  Slave-Trade,  expansion 
of  British  commerce,  possible  colonization  of  white  settlers 
in  a  region  under  the  Equator  line,  and  Heaven  help  the 
mark  !  the  assistance  to  Christian  Missionaries  to  preach 
the  Gospel  of  Peace,  and  Love,  were  not  wanting.  The 
scene  has  now  shifted  to  a  portion  of  Africa,  South  of  the 
Tropic  of  Capricorn,  and  another  Chartered  Company  is  in 
the  field,  cutting  down  the  Matabele,  a  section  of  the  great 
Zulu  race,  plundering  the  country,  and  commencing  to 
annex  it,  and  confiscate  the  land  for  the  purpose  of  settling 
British  Colonists,  and  protecting  the  poor  dear  injured 
Mashona  :  we  all  know  what  will  be  the  position  of  such 
poor  weak  tribes,  when  the  British  settler  is  in  possession, 
and  has  his  heel  down  on  them.  The  fate  of  the  Maori, 
the  Australian,  the  Tasmanian,  and  the  Red  Indian  of 
North  America,  is  well  known. 

The  British  taxpayer  may  well  cry  out  to  Mr.  Rhodes, 
in  the  words  put  into  the  mouth  of  Achilles  by  Homer : 
"  What  cause  have  I  to  war  at  thy  decree  ? 
"  The  Matabele  never  injured  me." 
The    Matabele   may  well   cry  out   in   the   words   of   the 
Hebrew,  who  resented  the  interference  of  Moses  : 

"  Who  made  you  ruler  and  judge  over  us  ? 

"  Wilt  thou  kill  me,  as  thou  didst  the  Egyptian 
yesterday?" 
Unnecessary  and  dangerous  interference  in  Egypt,  un- 
justifiable invasion  of  Abyssinia,  thoughtless  and  profitless 
annexation  of  Uganda,  and  now  cruel  and  unjustifiable 
invasion  of  the  Matabele :  such  is  the  British  record  on 
the  East  Coast  of  Africa :  National,  Religious,  and  Human 


(        6        ) 

Freedom  has  retired  into  the  deserts  of  the  Sudan,  and 
there  defies  the  British  Hon.  The  disgrace  of  Khartum, 
and  Majuba  Hill,  still  have  to  be  wiped  out  in  blood. 
The  Arab  and  the  Boer  still  defy  the  British  soldier  and 
colonist.  On  the  West  Coast  of  Africa  there  is  another 
Chartered  Company  quite  ready  to  loose  the  dogs  of  war, 
if  occasion  offers,  with  a  chance  of  booty.  We  read 
pleasant  little  notices,  how  Her  Majesty's  Commissioner  is 
bombarding  towns  on  the  West  Coast,  accompanied  by 
the  slaughter  of  women  and  children,  threats  to  devastate 
the  whole  country,  and  public  hanging  of  a  Native  Chief : 
we  are  on  the  road  back  to  the  savage  modes  of  warfare  of 
barbarous  ages.     No  quarter  asked  or  given.     Vae  Victis  ! 

If  any  other  European  State  ventures  to  annex  a  region 
in  Asia,  Africa,  or  Oceania,  there  is  an  outburst  of  pious  in- 
dignation on  the  part  of  the  British  Public  :  to  Great  Britain 
alone  is  reserved  the  right  of  invasion,  confiscation,  and 
annexation.  The  British  are  righteous  in  all  their  deal- 
ings :  the  French,  Belgian,  and  Russians  are  unprincipled 
land-pirates.  It  is  not  unusual  for  Nations,  as  well  as 
individuals,  to  be  blind  to  their  own  defects,  to  see  the 
mote  in  their  neighbour's  eye,  but  be  blind  to  the  beam  in 
their  own.  Those,  who  for  the  last  twenty  years,  have 
watched  the  progress  of  events  in  "  Africa  Unveiled,"  have 
kept  a  record  of  the  thousands  of  women,  children,  and 
men,  killed  by  the  scientific  Geographical  Expeditions  on 
the  war-path  across  Africa,  by  the  military  expeditions 
on  the  North,  East,  South,  and  West  :  a  town  destroyed 
here,  and  abandoned,  a  village  bombarded  there  :  a  few 
thousands  of  brave,  ignorant,  all  but  naked  men,  mowed 
down  with  arms  of  precision,  and  Gatling  guns :  behind 
them  comes  the  importer  of  alcoholic  liquors,  a  new  engine 
of  misery  to  take  the  place  of  the  Slave-Trade  :  if  Saul, 
the  soldier,  has  killed  his  thousands,  David,  the  Gin-Dis- 
tiller, has  killed  his  tens  of  thousands.  The  object  of 
Great  Britain  is,  apparently,  to  destroy  the  manhood  of 
Africa,  and  we  have  set  about  it  in  earnest :  Amurath  to 
Amurath  succeeds. 

The  device  of  Chartered  Companies  is  an  ingenious  one : 
it  is  to  supply  a  kind  of  buffer  of  crime.  War  is  not 
declared  in  the  usual  way,  and  the  Company  does  the 
work  as  a  private  concern,  and  reports  the  butcher's  bill, 
and  the  expenses,  to  its  own  commercial  constituents. 
The  late  Lord  Chief  Justice  Ellenborough,  in  his  famous 
decision,  laid  down  clearly  what  was  the  moral  position  of 


(        7        ) 

a  Company  :  in  a  suit  an  unfortunate  defendant  urged,  that 
the  plaintiff,  a  great  Company,  had  no  co7iscience :  "  Con- 
science," said  the  learned  Judge,  "  how  can  a  Company 
have  a  conscience,  when  it  has  no  soul  to  be  saved,  and  no 
backside  to  be  kicked  ?  "  This  is  a  great  truth,  to  which 
the  Baganda,  and  the  Matabele,  bear  unwilling  testimony. 
There  is  a  kind  of  grim  pleasantry  in  the  transaction  : 
while  on  the  East  of  Africa  we  are  slaying  with  the  sword, 
and  on  the  West  poisoning  with  the  demijohn  of  gin,  up 
goes  from  Exeter  Hall  a  sanctimonious  cry  for  the  abolition 
of  the  Slave-Trade,  and  the  conversion  of  the  poor  African 
to  Christianity.  Is  this  the  way  to  recommend  the  Gospel 
of  Peace  ?  The  Mahometan  invaded  Africa  accompanied 
by  the  Slave-Trade,  but  without  the  alcoholic  liquour, 
which  to  him  was  abomination.  The  Christian  invades 
Africa  with  the  liquour-cup,  and  Maxim-guns,  and  down- 
right slaughter,  and  then  makes  a  pretence  of  open  bibles, 
Christian  schools,  and  slaves  set  free.  The  British  public 
enjoyed  last  month  the  spectacle  of  an  Irish  Bishop  in 
Westminster  Abbey  encouraging  the  policy  of  slaughter- 
ing the  Matabele  :  it  is  a  singular  fact,  that  Mr.  Rhodes, 
the  great  South  African  Napoleon,  contributed  largely  to 
the  Parnell-fund  to  set  Ireland  free  from  the  British  yoke, 
and  yet  is  foremost  in  the  policy  of  annexing  new  Irelands 
in  South  Africa :  wiser,  however,  than  our  fathers,  he  kills 
down  the  indigenous  races,  and  confiscates  their  land  : 
Queen  Elizabeth  was  foolish  enough  to  let  the  Irish  live, 
and  retain  their  land  ;  so  centuries  afterwards  we  rue  the 
consequences  of  this  merciful  policy :  Bishop  Alexander, 
of  Derry,  takes  the  opposite  view,  and  denounces  the  idea 
of  freeing  Ireland  from  the  British  yoke  :  he  still  clings  to 
the  Upas-Tree  of  Protestant  Ascendancy,  and  yet  he  has 
the  singular  boldness  to  urge  in  an  English  pulpit  a  new 
policy  of  unprovoked  spoliation  :  and  why  ?  because  he 
has  a  son-in-law  among  the  adventurers.  The  wife  of 
the  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  Mashonaland  writes  con- 
fidingly to  T/ie  Times  to  ask  for  subscriptions  to  maintain 
School,  Chapels,  and  Nurses,  as  if  the  whole  country  had 
not  been  occupied  by  an  invading  army,  as  if  thousands 
of  the  males  had  not  been  slaughtered,  leaving  widows 
and  orphans  to  mourn  their  loss,  and  detest  the  foreign 
invaders,  who  pretend  to  come  for  their  good,  but  more 
particularly  for  their  goods  and  chattels.  The  Bishop  of 
Derry  admits  that  the  mothers  of  the  Matabele  are  in  all 
cases  Mashona  women. 


(         8         ) 

Is  any  word  printed  in  the  Daily  Newspapers,  is  any 
thought  entertained  by  the  readers  of  those  Newspapers, 
of  the  welfare  of  the  people  of  the  country,  of  the  occu- 
pants of  the  soil?  who  made  us  rulers  and  judges  of  the 
shortcomings  of  the  Matabele  ?  Are  we  in  these  last  days 
commissioned  to  kill  off  native  races  as  vermin  ?  It  is 
well  to  have  a  giant's  strength,  but  not  to  use  it  as  a 
giant.  "  Am  I  my  brother's  keeper'  ? "  said  Cain :  the 
modern  Cain  goes  in  to  be  the  destroyer  of  any  por- 
tion of  the  human  race,  that  stands  in  his  way.  In  the 
history  of  Britain  our  sympathies  are  with  the  early 
Britains,  savages  though  they  were,  in  the  invasion  of 
this  Island  by  the  Saxons,  the  Danes,  and  the  Normans  : 
we  feel  for  King  Alfred  in  his  troubles,  and  there  is  a 
halo  round  all  brave  patriots,  who  have  lived  and  died 
for  their  native  lands ;  and  up  to  this  time  there  has  been 
a  hatred  for  ruthless  invaders  whether  warriors,  or  adven- 
turers :  but  public  sentiment  has  changed  now  ;  the 
British  lay  claim  to  be  the  chartered  libertines  of  the  un- 
civilized World.  The  Sixth,  and  the  Eighth,  command- 
ments do  not  apply  to  Chartered  Companies,  or  Scientific 
Expeditions  on  the  War-Path.  But  there  is  a  day  of 
Judgment  for  all  that,  for  all  that :  and,  if  the  House  of 
Commons  lets  these  kind  of  transactions  pass,  there  is  still 
a  higher  tribunal,  to  which  slaughtered  and  expatriated 
Africans  may  appeal :  their  blood  will  cry  out. 

I  hear  from  a  friendly  pen  what  is  the  policy.  This  is 
the  style  of  writing  in  an  English  periodical  of  a  "fin  du 
siecle  "  Briton,  Mr.  Theodore  Bent. 

"  Nothing  but  making  a  clean  sweep  of  the  Matabele  out 
"  of  the  country,  and  driving  them  across  the  Zambesi,  can 
"settle  the  matter  :  then,  if  a  series  of  forts  is  constructed 
"  to  prevent  their  return,  Mashonaland,  and  Matabde  latid, 
"  may  hope  for  a  time  of  peace  and  prosperity." 

The  Roman  historian  centuries  ago  describes  a  settle- 
ment of  this  kind  in  the  stinging  words  : 

"  Solitudinem  faciunt,  et  Pacem  appellant." 
This  is  just  how  the  Romans  treated  Spain,  Gaul,  Britain, 
Helvetia,  and  Germany,  till  the  day  of  vengeance  fell  on 
them.  The  addition  of  the  words  Matabdle  land  show  that 
the  protection  of  the  poor  dear  Mashona  would  be  not 
enough  :  to  drive  the  Matabele  from  their  own  country 
across  the  Zambesi  would  indeed  be  robbing  Peter  to  pay 
Paul  :  what  would  the  Barotsi,  and  Bashukulumbi,  and 
the  British  Colonies  on  Lake  Nyasa  say  to  such  a  policy  ? 


(        9        ) 

there  would  be  continual  slaughter  on  the  Zambesi,  such 
as  in  far  away  centuries  there  was  on  the  Rhine  and 
Danube.  The  ingenious  device  of  building  forts  for  pro- 
tection was  adopted  by  our  ancestors,  who  erected  the 
great  Roman  Walls,  but  their  object  was  to  keep  the  Picts 
and  Scots  out  of  Britain  :  but  the  modern  Briton  suggests 
a  new  use  for  such  walls  :  to  keep  the  lawful  owners  out 
of  their  own  territory,  which  the  modern  Pict  and  Scot 
have  by  force  appropriated. 

But  is  the  game  worth  the  candle  ?  the  same  writer 
tells  us  what  makes  the  mouth  of  the  adventurer,  the 
volunteer,  and  colonist,  water.  Mashonaland  contains 
forty  thousand  square  miles  suitable  to  colonisation  by 
Europeans,  having  an  improving  climate  (whatever  that 
may  mean)  and  already  producing  all  manner  of  vege- 
tables, but  it  is  not  fit  for  horses  or  cattle,  being  infected 
by  the  tetse  fly :  but  it  is  really  the  gold  mines,  on  which 
the  future  of  Mashonaland  depends :  without  gold  the 
country  may  be  self-supporting,  but  not  sufficiently  rich 
to  be  valuable  as  a  SPECULATION  :  so  after  all  this  great 
scheme  of  benevolence,  these  lofty  notions  of  protecting 
the  poor  dear  Mashona,  shrinks  into  "  Auri  sacra  fames  " 
an  accursed  thirst  of  gold,  which  led  to  the  destruction 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  West  Indian  Islands  by  the 
Spaniard  :  the  Mashona  would  find  themselves  hewers  of 
wood  and  drawers  of  water,  workers  in  the  mines,  serfs, 
slaves,  and  vermin,  encumbrances  of  the  soil,  and  they 
would  not  last  long  :  another  Mr.  Rhodes  would  polish 
them  off. 

Mr.  Rider  Haggard,  who  dwells  in  a  region  of  airy 
romances,  and  charming  intellectual  creations  of  his  versa- 
tile genius,  of  which  I  am  an  unfeigned  admirer,  in  his 
letter  to  the  Tunes,  is  surprised,  that  educated  men,  as 
some  of  us  claim  to  be,  experienced  in  public  affairs,  and 
accustomed  for  the  space  of  a  quarter  of  a  century  to  main- 
tain a  gentle,  yet  firm,  rule  of  subject  Millions  in  India, 
during  periods  of  War,  Mutiny  and  Peace,  should  have 
such  weakness  of  moral  knees,  such  enlai'ge^nent  of  the 
political  heart  (whatever  that  term  may  mean)  :  he  fears 
that  such  critics,  whom  he  kindly  describes  as  "  agitated 
"  old  ladies,"  have  "  lost  their  grip  of  every  principle  of 
"  common  sense,  and  law  of  human  nature."  One  remark- 
able reason  he  gives  for  Mr.  Rhodes'  policy  is,  that  it  has 
injured  the  Transvaal,  and  that,  if  Mr.  Rhodes  had  not 
been   on  the  alert,  the  Dutch  Boers  and  the  Portuguese, 


(  10  ) 

would  have  laid  their  hands  on  these  auriferous  districts  * 
he  remarks,  that  the  only  claim,  which  the  Matabele  had 
to  their  territory,  was  that  of  the  "spear:"  is  not  the  British 
power  founded  on  the  "big  ship,  the  rifle,  and  the  cannon?" 
The  sight  of  these  brave  men  hurling  their  naked  bodies 
upon  the  white  soldiers'  bullets,  moved  even  Mr.  Haggard 
to  pity.  The  "  New  Sentiment,"  as  he  describes  it,  turns 
out  to  be  a  very  old  one,  that  the  robbing  of  land  is  own 
brother  to  the  picking  of  pockets,  and  that  Murder  is 
slaying  one  of  God's  creatures,  whether  done  by  a  garotter 
in  London  Streets,  or  by  a  scratch  pack  of  Police,  Colonists, 
and  adventurers,  under  the  command,  Heaven  help  the 
mark !  of  a  Medical  Man,  who  superintends  the  infliction 
of  wounds,  instead  of  the  healing.  Atropos  for  Lucina 
came  :  Vishnu  the  Preserver  instead  of  Siva  the  Destroyer. 
That,  which  is  morally  wrong,  can  never  be  politically 
right,  whether  the  author  of  that  wrong  is  the  Emperor 
of  Russia,  the  President  of  the  French  Republic,  or  Mr. 
Rhodes  :  and  it  is  certain,  that  a  Nemesis  will  follow  the 
commission  of  wrong.  The  late  Archbishop  of  Armagh 
remarked  to  me  in  Dublin,  in  1892,  that  we  were  suffering 
in  Ireland  in  this  century  for  the  wrongs  inflicted  on  the 
Irish  race  in  the  last  and  the  preceding  century  :  and  the 
shadows  of  the  slaughtered  victims  of  the  Chartered  Com- 
panies in  Victoria  Nyanza,  and  Matabeleland,  will  rise  up 
against  the  British  Nation  in  the  hour  of  her  peril,  and 
decadence,  which  may  be  nearer  at  hand  than  the  thought- 
less now  imagine. 

The  Society  of  Friends  have  spoken  out  in  their 
memorial  to  the  Government  :  their  words  are  worthy  of 
record  :  having  been  oppressed  themselves  in  past  cen- 
turies they  feel  for  those,  who  are  oppressed  at  the  present 
epoch,  whatever  may  be  the  colour  of  their  skins,  or  the 
standard  of  their  civilization.  "  We  have  been  deeply 
"pained  by  the  information  communicated  in  the  public 
"  Press  of  the  appalling  slaughter,  which  has  taken  place 
"in  Matabeleland  by  the  armed  forces  of  the  Chartered 
"  Company  of  South  Africa.  We  strongly  feel,  that  such 
"  methods  of  prosecuting  commercial  enterprise  are  entirely 
"incompatible  with  the  Christian  religion,  and  we  regard 
"  it  as  a  disgrace  to  our  nation's  profession  of  Christianity, 
*'  that  in  this,  as  in  so  many  preceding  instances,  the 
''settlement  of  our  countrymen  as  colonists  in  uncivilized 
'*  lands  has  been  accompanied  by  wars  of  extermination. 
j'We  would  press  upon  the  Government   the    importance 


(    "    ) 

"  in  any  future  arrangements  of  doing  nothing  to  sanction^ 
"  or  facilitate,  such  miHtary  interference  with  the  rights 
"  and  Hberties  of  native  races,  children  with  ourselves  of 
"one  common  Father.  In  view  of  the  responsibilities 
"now  devolving  on  our  Government,  we  trust,  that  its 
"  action  may  be  directed  to  insuring  the  treatment  of  the 
"  Matabele,  not  in  a  spirit  of  hostility  and  greed,  but  of 
"justice,  humanity,  and  mercy.  We  believe,  that  this 
"policy  of  jystice  and  humanity  is  not  only  right  in  itself, 
"  but  is  absolutely  essential,  if  Great  Britain  is  to  be  able 
"with  any  effect  to  exercise  her  influence,  to  prevent 
"  similar  high-handed  encroachment  on  native  races  by 
"other  civilized  Powers."  Mr.  Gladstone's  reply  contains 
the  following  words  : — "  In  any  case  I  can  assure  you,  that 
"we  heartily  share  the  desire  of  the  Society  of  Friends,. 
"  that  the  Matabele  should  be  treated  with  justice,  humanity 
"and  mercy.  I  remain,  dear  Mr.  Ellis,  faithfully  yours, 
"  W.  E.  Gladstone." 

The  International  League  of  Arbitrators  has  also 
protested  against  these  acts  of  Buccaneering,  and  appeals 
to  the  Queen  to  stop  all  further  effusion  of  blood,  the 
extermination  of  the  poor  Africans,  and  the  confiscation 
of  their  lands  either  by  the  Chartered  Company,  or  by 
the  adventurers  in  its  service.  Sir  Wilfred  Lawson  re- 
marked :  "We  are  for  an  honest  England,  just  and 
"humane."  There  is  much  reason  to  fear,  that  many  of 
the  Members  of  the  House  of  Commons  have  shares  in 
the  Company  actual  or  prospective.  Other  countries  act 
in  a  different  way :  the  Sandwich  Islands  are  but  the  point 
of  a  pin  in  the  great  Pacific,  but  the  President  of  the 
United  States  remarks,  that  the  treatment  of  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  Queen  by  the  American  Minister  was  a  plain 
violation  of  International  Law,  and  he  disavows  it,  and 
condemns  the  offending  American  citizens,  and  endeavours 
to  restore  lawful  authority.  Is  Great  Britain  to  sanction 
the  enormities  committed  by  Mr.  Rhodes  ?  The  Con- 
gregational Union  has  also  protested  against  the  injustice 
done  to  the  Matabele,  insisting,  that  it  is  the  duty  of 
Britons  to  set  an  example  of  Justice  and  Humanity  in 
their  relation  with  uncivilized  tribes,  and  begging  the 
Government  to  interfere  and  protect  the  rights  of  the 
Matabele,  and  protect  the  British  Nation  from  the  shame 
of  in  any  way  giving  way  to  a  pack  of  self-seeking  adven- 
turers, who  were  quite  indifferent  to  the  rights  of  a  more 
feeble  Nation.  _.         ^^^ 


(  12  ) 

The  Primitive  Methodists  have  also  remonstrated.  The 
^'Christian/'  a  well  known  journal,  remarks,  "that  to  treat 
"  the  so-called  barbarous  tribes,  as  if  there  were  no  distinc- 
"tion  between  Good  and  Evil,  amounts  to  justify  all  the 
"  infamous  transactions,  which  in.  past  centuries  have  dis- 
"  graced  mankind,  and  swept  away  all  traces  of  many 
"  primitive  races  :  Such  a  shocking  policy  must  re-act 
"on  the  moral  views  of  the  Conqueror,  and  efface  from 
"their  ideas  all  value  of  Human  life." 

The  Marquis  of  Ripon  received  at  the  Colonial  Office 
a  deputation  from  the  Aborigines  Protection  Society  with 
reference  to  affairs  in  Matabeleland.  The  deputation  sub- 
mitted that,  "  even  if  the  British  South  Africa  Company 
has  been  allowed  in  its  relations  with  the  Mashona  and 
other  subject  tribes,  as  well  as  with  the  Matabele,  to  usurp 
greater  power,  than  it  was  entitled  to  under  its  charter,  it 
is  competent  for  her  Majesty's  Government  to  limit  the 
company's  operations  hereafter  to  equitable  exercise  of  the 
functions  marked  out  by  its  concessions,  and  to  reserve 
or  restore  to  the  Crown  direct  and  complete  control  over 
the  general  affairs  of  the  vast  district,  which  has  now  practi- 
cally become  a  part  of  the  British  dominions.  As  it 
was  probable,  that  the  intervention  of  the  rainy  season  and 
other  causes  will  delay  for  at  least  a  few  months  the  settle- 
ment on  a  pacific  basis  of  affairs  in  Matabeleland,  the 
Government  should  not  allow  the  interval  to  be  occupied 
in  the  development  of  arrangements  prejudicial  to  the 
interests  of  the  natives,  and  it  should,  with  the  least 
possible  delay,  take  upon  itself  the  duty  of  actively  con- 
trolling the  course  of  events." 

Lord  Ripon  expressed  his  entire  sympathy  with  the 
deputation  :  he  was  opposed  to  the  principle  of  Chartered 
Companies  :  the  public  opinion  of  South  Africa  must  also 
be  considered,  though  Mr.  Rhodes  and  his  Company  had 
no  Sovereign  rights,  and  that  nothing  could  be  done  as 
regards  the  settlement  of  the  country  without  the  sanction 
of  Her  Majesty's  Government. 

There  is  no  evidence  whatever,  that  some  of  the  poor 
Africans  mercilessly  cut  down  were  more  than  agriculturists, 
compelled  to  join  in  a  national  defence  of  their  country 
and  their  lives.  Great  sympathy  has  been  expressed  for 
Captain  Wilson  and  his  party,  who  pushed  on  too  far, 
were  surrounded  and  killed  :  so  it  happened  at  Majuba 
Hill  and  Khartum ;  sometimes  in  a  house  in  London 
armed  intruders  are  killed  by  the  infuriated  householder, 


(        13       ) 

roused  to  madness  to  protect  the  lives  of  himself  and  his 
family,  and  his  property.  Those  who  fell  had  no  com- 
mission from  their  Sovereign  to  wage  war  according  to  the 
manner  of  civilized  warfare  :  they  took  no  prisoners  :  they 
spared  no  one :  the  tigers,  who  leap  into  a  fenced  enclosure 
to  get  at  the  cattle,  are  killed.  No  one  pities  the  tiger  : 
shall  we  pity  the  man-tiger  ? 

Mr.  Selous  in  his  letter  on  landing  in  Great  Britain  puffs 
up  the  brave  men  who  fell,  but  he  forgets,  that  it  is  not  the 
dying,  but  the  cause  for  ivhicJi  Death  is  met,  that  ennobles 
the  dead.  Mr.  Selous  has  probably  not  studied  the  legacy 
of  Hebrew,  Greek,  and  Roman  history,  and  the  immortal 
songs  over  those,  who  fell  fighting  against  Sisera,  and  the 
Ammonites,  invading  the  land  of  the  Hebrews,  or  the  Greek 
youths  who  fell  at  Thermopylae  to  save  Athens,  and  over 
the  Romans  who  fell  fighting  against  Hannibal.  Great 
Imperial  Nations  must  have  Imperial  instincts  ;  the  highest 
self-control,  an  entire  absence  of  greed  and  lust  for  gold, 
a  pity  for  the  wounded  and  slain.  Rhodes'  emissaries 
had  no  such  pity,  or  self-restraint.  Gold,  Gold,  Gold  : 
Pasture-land  was  their  object  :  adventurer  sfrom  the  Mother 
Country  wanted  to  amass  fortunes.  Do  we  feel  any  pity 
for  the  Italian  and  Sicilian  bandits,  who  are  cut  down  by 
the  National  troops  in  the  act  of  pillage  and  rapine  .'* 

No  sooner  is  the  fighting  over  than  we  come  into  scenes 
worthy  of  the  camp  followers  or  suttlers  of  a  great  army  : 
the  soldiers  would  not  condescend  to  such  actions. 

"  The  volunteers,  who  have  served  during  the  campaign 
"are  already  selling  their  rights  to  farms,  at  prices  varying 
"from  £\o  to  £60.  A  large  number  of  wagons,  loaded 
"  with  goods,  are  now  on  their  way  up  to  Matabeleland. 
"  Horse  sickness  has  broken  out  in  that  country." 

'*  On  the  22nd,  at  daybreak,  a  small  force  arrived  with 
"  a  day's  rations,  and  we  ate  like  wolves,  the  whole  lot  at 
"one  meal.  Some  of  us  went  on  patrol,  and  captured 
"600  head  of  cattle,  and  killed  about  a  dozen  Matabele, 
"  but  were  too  weak  to  do  more,  physically  and  numerically 
"  weak." 

"  Referring  to  the  land  settlement,  Mr.  Rhodes  said,  that 
"after  the  pioneers  had  made  their  choice,  3,000  morgen 
"  would  be  allotted  to  each.  The  Chartered  Company  would 
"  encourage  settlers,  but  would  sell  no  land  under  3^.  per 
"  morgen." 

"  The  pegging  out  of  mining  claims  is  proceeding  rapidly. 
"  Numerous  old  gold  workings  have  been  discovered.     In  a 


(        14       ) 

""  fortnight  or  so  I  shall  start  via  Tati,  Palapye,  Mafeking, 
■"  and  Vryburg  for  the  Cape,  to  stay  there  in  the  sun,  for  it 
"  is  midsummer  there,  for  a  month,  and  then  home,  sweet 
"home.  My  syndicate  has  got  90,000  acres  of  the  best 
^' grazing-land  in  the  country.  We  are  going  to  stock  it  at 
*'  once,  and  work  it  later  on.  I  have  got  twenty  miners' 
"claims,  which  a  prospector  here  is  going  to  peg  out  for  me 
"  on  the  main  reef  below  Buluwayo,  as  soon  as  possible. 
*'  My  ten  claims  in  Mashonaland  will  be  pegged  out  before 
*'  Christmas,  and  all  these  things  point  to  the  fact,  that  the 
"year  has  not  been  wasted,  but  that  I  shall  have  to  return 
*'  here,  if  necessary,  next  year,  and  certainly  the  year  fol- 
"  lowing." 

A  special  communication  to  the  Cape  Times  from  Bulu- 
wayo states,  that  since  the  throwing  open  of  the  country  to 
settlers  on  December  15th,  a  good  deal  of  land  has  been 
staked  out  for  farms,  amounting  in  the  aggregate  to 
100,000  acres.  Several  promising  gold-properties  have 
also  been  "  claimed." 

The  King's  late  secretary,  who  had  been  liberated  on 
parole,  has  been  arrested  for  inciting  the  friendly  natives 
to  waylay  and  murder  the  whites,  who  are  prospecting  near 
Buluwayo. 

I  have  been  present  in  great  battles,  and  celebrated 
campaigns,  but  I  never  heard  of  circumstances  such  as 
these  even  in  an  enemy's  country. 

It  is  distinctly  stated  by  Mr.  Alexander  Bailey,  of 
Johannesberg,  in  his  letter  to  The  Times  oi  Nov.  6,  1893, 
that  Lo-Bengula's  men  were  attacked  and  killed  at  Fort 
Victoria  on  July  i8th,  before  any  declaration  of  war,  and 
notwithstanding  this  departure  from  all  civilized  precedent, 
Lo-Bengula  sent  every  white  man,  woman,  and  child  safe 
out  of  his  camp  :  he  may  be  a  barbarian,  but  he  is  not 
a  monster.  The  Bishop  of  the  Diocese,  as  Church  Militant, 
joined  the  invading  party,  and  in  his  letter  to  The  Times 
he  calls  himself  the  Bishop  both  of  the  invaders  and 
invaded  :  at  any  rate  he  seemed  to  sympathise  with  the 
invaders,  and  accepted  a  large  grant  of  land  confiscated 
from  the  other  members  of  his  diocese,  "  in  partibus  infide- 
lium."  He  appears  to  be  a  survival  of  the  Mediaeval 
Bishops,  who  converted  Europe  by  the  help  of  the  sword, 
and  in  the  hope  of  grants  of  fat  acres.  I  conclude  that 
the  sixth  and  eighth  commandments  are  no  longer  read  in 
his  diocese,  and  the  Books  of  Judges  and  Joshua  are  the 
parts  of    Scripture  most    suitable  for  distribution   to    the 


(       15       ) 

environment :  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  will 
not  publish  such  an  edition. 

In  December,  1893,  a  Missionary  entertained  a  Religious 
Committee  with  an  account  of  Mashonaland,  from  which 
he  was  lately  arrived.  He  stated  that  three  (3)  thousand 
acres  of  land  had  been  granted  to  his  Mission  by  the 
Chartered  Company :  when  asked  by  one  of  the  Com- 
mittee what  authority  the  Company  had  to  give  away 
land,  which  by  ancient  custom  belonged  to  the  tribe 
collectively,  his  reply  was  that  Lo-Bengula  had  made  the 
concession  in  Mashonaland  :  in  a  few  weeks  the  king,  who 
granted  this  land,  was  turned  out  by  the  Company,  and 
his  kingdom  annexed.  The  Missionary  remarked,  that 
the  country  round  Fort  Salisbury  was  very  unhealthy, 
that  everybody  was  down  with  fever,  and  that  it  was  quite 
unfit  for  a  European  Colony,  as  all  children  died. 

The  words  of  the  Bishop  of  Mashonaland  are  worthy 
of  record,  and  are  given  in  justice  to  himself.  "  Here  at 
"  Buluwayo,"  the  Bishop  proceeds,  "  a  trader's  house  has 
"  been  turned  into  a  hospital,  and  two  rooms  are  full  of 
"  Europeans  only.  Lobengula,  the  Matabele  king,  savage 
"  as  he  is  towards  his  own  people  and  other  natives,  has 
"  been  most  considerate  in  not  allowing  houses,  belonging 
"  to  missionaries  or  traders,  to  be  touched,  or  any  European 
"  who  stayed  in  his  country,  while  the  fighting  was  going 
"  on,  to  be  injured.  Even  after  Matabele  villages  were 
"  burnt  by  the  Europeans  on  the  line  of  march  he  made 
"  no  retaliation.  He  says  he  has  given  his  word.  I  have 
"  volunteered  to  go  and  see  the  King  and  try  and  arrange 
"  something,  that  may  bring  peace  to  the  people,  and  I 
"  also  wish  to  explain  to  him  my  neutral  position.  Before 
"  he  left  Buluwayo  he  asked  where  I  was.  He  calls  me 
"  the  '  Induna  (captain)  of  the  teachers.'  They  told  him 
"  they  did  not  think  that  I  was  with  the  white  men  coming 
"  into  the  country.  He  seems  to  have  said  something 
"  expressing  his  satisfaction.  No  white  man  has  tried  to 
"  get  to  see  him  yet.  I  thought  that  I  could  reach  him, 
"  but  they  think,  that  I  should  be  killed  by  the  regiments 
"  round  him,  and  so  the  offer  that  I  made  of  going  was 
"  not  encouraged.  But  I  have  left  it  open,  as  I  think  I 
"  could  explain  sufficiently  quickly  even  to  those,  who  do 
"  not  know  me.  I  do  not  know,  that  I  should  be  of  any 
"  value  to  the  Company  by  going,  for  I  could  only  re- 
"  commend  Lobengula  to  accept  terms,  that  I  consider  as 
"  advantageous  to  him  as  to  them.     I  entirely  and  emphati- 


(        i6        ) 

"  cally  repudiate  any  share  in  the  sentiment  that  '  the 
"  sword  '  is  a  necessary  factor  in  the  Christianizing  of  these 
"  savage  nations,  or  that  the  only  road  for  the  preaching 
"  of  Christianity  is  cleared  by  destroying  their  power  ;  and 
"  I  here  distinctly  assert,  that  no  letter  written  or  speech 
"  made  urging  on  a  war  with  the  Matabdle  has  ever  had 
"  any  sympathy  whatever  from  me.  I  hoped  to  the  very 
"  last  it  would  be  avoided.  The  more  rapid  reception  of 
"  Christianity  may  be  the  outcome  of  all  this ;  but  rapid 
"  reception  is  not  always .  most  solid.  I  can  only  trust 
"  that  God  will,  in  His  good  providence,  overrule  for  good 
"  all  that  may  be  wrong."  Still  he  does  not  see  the  gravity 
of  the  case,  for  he  tells  us  that  he  had  Church-Parade, 
and  the  Holy  Communion  afterwards.  Did  he  recollect 
the  conduct  of  Ambrose,  Bishop  of  Milan,  who  refused 
entry  into  the  Church  to  the  Emperor  Theodosius,  whose 
hands  were  dyed  in  blood  ?  " 

The  Cape  Town  Times  of  October  i8,  1893,  gives  a 
letter  from  one  of  the  volunteers  hired  at  Cape  Town  for 
the  purpose  of  murder  and  spoliation  : 

"  I  am  one  of  the  Frontier  Police :    there  are  sixty  of 

"  us :  we  are  encamped  four  miles  from  Fort  Victoria  :  we 

"  are  to  receive  no  pay  after  we  have  crossed  the  frontier, 

"  but  to  any  of  us,  who  outlive  the  scrimmage,  will  be  given 

"(i)  Three  thousand  (3000)  acres  of  pasturage  land 

"in  Matabeleland. 
*'(2)  Five  (5)  shares  in  a  gold  mine. 
"  (3)  A  share  of  the  plundered  cattle,  etc.     Power  of 
"  sale,    or    hypothecation    of    the   shares    to    the 
"  Company,  is  reserved." 

This  implied,  that  the  whole  country  was  to  be  parcelled 
out  among  the  invading  army :  no  one  cared  for  the 
Matab^le,  and  at  the  time,  that  this  iniquitous  engagement 
was  made,  war  had  not  been  declared.  The  terms  of  the 
engagement  carry  us  back  to  the  simple  time  of  Deborah 
and  Barak,  when  the  mother  of  Sisera  expected  her 
son's  army  to  come  back  "each  with  a  Hebrew  damsel 
"  or  two."  Women  in  Matabdleland  do  not  go  for  much, 
and  can  always  be  purchased  for  six  head  of  cattle.  The 
mothers  and  wives  of  the  slaughtered  Matabele  were  all 
Mash6na  w^omen,  so  there  must  have  been  a  plethora  of 
widows  in  the  market. 

A  correspondent  of  the  Gazette  de  Lausanne,  who  has 
been  settled  several  years  in  South  Africa,  and  who  ap- 
parently is  not  of  the   Rhodes-party,  and  clearly  has  not 


(        17       ) 

come  in  for  a  share  of  the  mines,  or  of  plundered  cattle, 
or  rich  pasturage,  writes  that  at  the  cost  of  some  ex- 
penditure of  men  and  money,  the  Company  has  become 
absolute  proprietor  of  Matabeleland  and  Mashonaland : 
the  Colonists  will  now  cultivate  their  land  without  danger  : 
the  Miners  will  dig  out  their  gold  without  hindrance  :  the 
Shareholders  at  home  will  touch  large  dividends :  the 
influence  of  Great  Britain,  or  possibly  of  the  Africander 
Republic,  will  become  supreme  in  South  Africa.  If  to 
attain  this  object  it  has  been  necessary  to  confiscate  the 
land  of  several  thousand  blacks,  to  cut  down  and  massacre 
the  native  soldiery,  these  are  mere  incidents  of  British 
Christian  Colonial  life.  There  will  be  a  cry  in  Exeter 
Hall  :  there  will  be  a  few  Newspaper-Articles,  and  a  few 
Pamphlets,  and  then  no  more  will  be  thought  of  it :  the 
wheels  of  the  Jagarnath  car  of  British  Christian  Civiliza- 
tion will  pass  over  the  lifeless  bodies,  and  the  incident 
will  be  forgotten.  The  success  will  be  made  the  most  of, 
and  the  means  used  will  only  be  spoken  of  in  a  whisper. 
The  black  must  give  way  to  the  white  :  the  African  Bantu 
to  the  European  Anglo-Saxon.  No  one  dreams  of  apply- 
ing the  maxims  of  the  Rights  of  Nations  to  Africa  : 
Some  may  think,  that  principles  of  Justice  and  Right 
should  apply  to  all  God's  poor  children,  without  reference 
to  their  colour  or  culture,  and  that  a  brown  or  black  man 
is  still  made  in  God's  image  :  Mr.  Rhodes'  friends  class 
them  among  the  "  ferae  naturae." 

The  war,  and  the  scheme  of  annexation,  was  clearly 
planned  long  before  :  there  was  no  sudden  conjuncture 
of  circumstances  compelling  a  desperate  policy,  as  some- 
times happens.  Agents  of  the  different  Syndicates,  jealous 
of  each  other,  had  come  from  London  to  accompany  the 
forces,  and  lay  hold  of  their  shares  of  the  "loot : "  the  war  was 
settled  upon  long  before  any  "  casus  belli "  was  formulated, 
before  the  tender  hearts  of  the  adventurers  were  touched  by 
the  woes  of  the  poor  Mashona,  the  maternal  relations  of  the 
Matabele :  all  the  friends  of  the  Company  were  ready  for 
the  snatching.  The  British  Nation  has  often — too  often — 
extinguished  the  Sovereign  rights  of  Native  Potentates, 
ex.g.  the  Panjab,  Oudh,  and  Burma,  but  the  subjects  of  the 
ejected  Potentates  have  retained  their  private  property  : 
nothing  so  mean  has  occurred  in  the  annals  of  Great  Britain 
as  this  new  phase  of  Annexation.  The  Germans  con- 
quered the  French  Provinces  of  Alsace  and  Lorraine,  but 
did  not  expropriate  private  owners. 


(        I8        ) 

In  December,  1890,  Mr.  Maund,  one  of  the  Pioneers  of 
South  Africa,  three  years  ago  spoke  in  the  following 
terms  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  London  :  that  in 
addition  to  the  cultivated  and  pastoral  land,  the  out-turn 
of  gold  would  make  Mashonaland  one  of  the  richest  ac- 
quisitions of  the  British  Empire,  and  that  there  would  be 
a  rush  of  immigrants  in  that  direction  without  parallel  in 
the  History  of  Africa. 

Mr.  Colquhon's  utterance  is  as  follows  :  He  had  faith 
in  Mash6naland  and  Matabeleland,  and  believed,  that  the 
Colony  founded  in  1890,  with  settled  government  replacing 
a  cruel  and  despotic  barbarism,  was  destined  to  be  the 
home  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  our  fellow-countrymen. 
This  was  no  vulgar  annexation  to  gratify  territorial  greed. 
(Cheers.)  The  extension  of  our  Empire  was  a  national  and 
a  social  necessity ;  and  wherever,  zvitJiout  violating  con- 
ventions or  existing  rights^  we  could  prepare  the  way  for 
our  kindred  to  live  and  spread  under  conditions,  which 
promise  prosperity,  it  was  the  most  urgent  of  all  duties  to 
seize  such  opportunities  as  they  arose.  The  Providence, 
which  had  guided  our  destiny  so  far,  had  by  the  mere  force 
of  circumstances  rendered  our  Imperial  duties  imperious 
duties.  P'or  we  were  not  as  other  nations  are.  Not  only 
were  our  own  islands  too  small  for  our  people,  but  the 
course  of  our  commerce  and  industry  had  been  such,  that 
we  were  increasingly  dependent  for  their  maintenance  on 
a  trade,  against  which  incessant  war  was  waged,  as  if  we 
were  the  Ishmael  of  civilized  nations.  As  we  could  not 
grow  our  own  food,  we  must  either  send  our  people  to  dis- 
tant countries  in  search  of  it,  or  find  ever  new  customers 
for  our  manufactures.  We,  in  fact,  resorted  to  both  alter- 
natives, but  were  still  not  able  to  keep  pace  with  the 
national  growth  of  our  people  and  the  requirements  of 
advancing  civilization.  There  was  no  object,  which  a 
British  statesman  could  set  before  himself  comparable  to 
the  central  necessity  of  providing  for  the  development  of 
our  own  race.  If  that  were  a  national  selfish  policy,  might 
our  statesmen  be  saturated  with  such  selfishness.  And 
no  nobler  contribution  to  the  ways  and  means  of  such  a 
development  had  ever  come  across  the  national  path  than 
this  opening  up  of  South  Africa,  which  was  to  crown  a 
century  of  Imperial  achievement. 


19 


CHAPTER  II. 

Danger  to  Great  Britain's  Empire. 

There  was  a  period  in  the  History  of  the  Great  Roman 
Empire,  when  the  wise  councillors  of  the  wise  Emperor 
Adrian  recommended,  that  the  limits  of  the  Empire  should 
be  fixed  and  surrounded  by  a  wall  of  Military  Posts  : 
otherwise  they  saw  breakers  ahead,  and  that  the  great 
Empire  "mole  ruit  sua":  thus  the  River  Euphrates,  the 
Danube,  the  Libyan  Desert,  the  Atlantic,  and  Britain,  were 
declared  to  be  the  boundaries.  Let  Great  Britain  pause 
and  think.  Take  care,  Caesar,  lest  you  suffer  loss  !  Large 
Colonies  are  ready  to  break  away  :  India  is  only  held  as 
a  man  holds  a  wolf  by  its  two  ears.  It  is  well  to  have  the 
strength  of  a  Colossus,  but  not  to  use  it  like  the  Colossus 
of  Rhodes  :  our  sons  may  blush  at  the  conduct  of  their 
sires  at  this  epoch,  for  we  have  arrived  at  the  parting 
of  the  ways.  Francis  I  of  France,  after  the  battle  of 
Pavia,  wrote  to  his  mother  that  he  had  "lost  everything 
"  but  Honour  "  :  we  are  in  a  fair  way  of  losing  all,  including 
Honour,  as  well  as  the  sense  of  Christian  Justice  betwixt 
Man  and  Man.  At  the  time,  when  the  hungry  classes 
of  the  British  Nation  are  looking  with  eager  eyes  at  the 
lands,  and  accumulated  property  of  the  wealthier  classes, 
we  are  giving  them  object-lessons  in  murder  and  annexa- 
tion :  the  appropriation  of  other  people's  property  is  a 
tendency,  which  is  attractive,  and  the  proletariat  of  the 
20th  Century  may  well  point  to  our  conduct  in  Africa, 
of  the  disappearance  of  "  meum "  and  "  tuum,"  and  the 
necessity  of  a  new  distribution  of  material  resources. 
What  is  sauce  to  the  goose  is  sauce  to  the  gander  :  If 
spoliation  be  legitimate  in  the  green  tree  of  the  infantine 
civilization  of  Africa,  how  much  more  appropriate  it  is  in 
the  old  dead  tree  of  worn  out  European  Society !  Mr. 
Rhodes  is  an  arch-socialist,  and  desires  the  happiness  of  the 
many,  and  I  admit  that  there  are  strong  arguments  in 
his  favour,  if  worked  out  in  their  entirety.     We  had  better 


(  20  ) 

have  left  Africa  alone,  and  not  spent  so  much  money  in 
redeeming  Slaves,  if  we  intended  to  enter  on  a  career  of 
slaughter  and  spoliation  by  the  aid  of  Chartered  Com- 
panies. The  last  state  of  Africa  will  be  worse  than  the 
first. 

Already  the  good  ship  "  Great  Britain  "  is  overladen,  and 
in  Asia,  Africa,  Oceania,  and  America  a  time  of  trial  is 
at  hand.  When  a  Province  is  cut  away  from  France,  the 
population  of  that  Province  cannot  be  reconciled  to  the 
divorce :  witness  Lorraine  and  Alsace  :  when  a  Colony  or 
Province  is  given  up  by  Great  Britain,  it  gladly  accepts 
the  change :  witness  the  Ionian  Islands,  the  United  States, 
and  the  desire  of  Ireland  to  dissolve  a  union  of  six 
Centuries  and  to  get  away.  In  the  case  of  a  European 
war  what  would  be  our  position  ?  our  interests  are  spread 
over  an  enormous  area  :  our  Colonies  are  held  to  the 
Mother-Country  by  a  thread  ready  to  snap  :  British  India 
is  on  a  volcano,  held  by  a  vast  British  Army,  which 
owing  to  the  climate  sensibly  wastes  every  year,  and  has 
to  be  supplemented  by  drafts  of  fresh  soldiers.  Of  what 
profit  imperially,  except  for  the  purpose  of  boasting,  are 
Uganda  or  Matabeleland  ?  will  the  inhabitants,  who  wear 
no  clothes  at  present,  consume  our  manufactures,  if  any 
inhabitants  at  all  in  the  latter  country  survive  the  intro- 
duction of  British  Colonists.  Up  to  this  time  liquour  has 
not  been  admitted,  but  the  Distillers  are  on  the  march, 
and  the  arrival  of  the  first  Demijohn  of  Gin  may  soon  be 
expected.  Liquour  accompanies  the  British  Colonists  just 
as  fleas  accompany  the  dog,  and  the  tick  accompanies  the 
sheep :  they  cannot  exist  without  each  other,  and  the 
natives  fall  ready  victims  to  the  new  and  seductive  drink 
of  the  white  man,  so  much  stronger  and  more  deadly  than 
their  own. 

And  yet  we  read  what  a  young  Settler  writes  home,  that 
his  parson  calls  the  Company's  Military  enterprise  an 
"Apostolic  Mission,"  and  that  South  African  sentiment 
'•is  pretty  well  voiced  by  that  reverend  gentleman  :"  we  in 
England  are  hardly  convinced  of  the  justice  of  the  shame- 
less attack  on  Lo-Bengula's  kraal,  though  justifiable  on 
principles  of  African  Warfare.  "  First  come,  first  kill," 
is  scarcely  apostolic,  or  even  British,  in  its  character.  It 
has  more  of  the  reputed  character  of  the  Zulu,  or  Ashanti, 
king.  The  periodical,  from  which  we  quote,  writes  "that 
"  it  looks  very  much,  as  if  Mr.  Rhodes  had  made  up  his 
**  mind,  that  the  Matabele  horde  must  be  smashed,  and  that 


(  21  ) 

"since  the  Home  Government  would  not  let  him  begin  the 
"  process,  unless  he  were  first  attacked,  he  did  not  need  or 
"  want  to  wait  for  more  than  formal  provocation.  Mr. 
"  Rhodes  is  represented  as  the  very  embodiment  of 
"  commercial  unscrupulousness,  only  eager  to  extend  the 
"  domain  or  bolster  up  the  fortunes,  or  avert  the  exposure 
"  of  the  British  South  African  Company,  and  careless  what 
"  lofty  purpose  he  simulates,  or  what  blood  he  causes  to  be 
''^shed'.  on  the  other  side  he  is  called  the  apostle  of 
"civilization,  the  patron  of  Christian  Missions,  who  is 
"  engaged  in  executing  long  delayed  Justice  on  a  murderous 
"  and  treacherous  people."  Perhaps  the  term,  Political 
Opportunist,  will  suit  him  :  We  quote  the  above  words, 
but  do  not  endorse  them  :  we  care  nothing  for  the 
Company,  but  very  much  for  Africa. 

The  Hospital  Nurses  at  Fort  Salisbury  write,  that  Mr. 
Rhodes  is  the  darling  of  fortune,  and  that  blind  goddess 
does  not  often  select  men  of  his  stamp  for  the  Sunday 
School  :  this  opinion  is  a  sweet  admixture  of  Paganism 
and  Christianity.  Some  call  him  the  Colossus  of  Rhodes, 
some  the  modern  Napoleon,  or  Cortes  :  shall  we  add  Dick 
Turpin  ?  Some  propose  to  give  him  the  same  title,  that 
was  granted  to  Scipio,  and  call  him  Africanus.  Mr.  Selous, 
the  well-known  traveller,  is  credited  with  the  gift  of  ''  never 
telling  a  lie,"  which  is  but  faint  praise  to  a  man  who  is 
a  gentleman,  unless  Truth  is  a  rare  gift  in  South  Africa. 
But  of  the  Colossus  of  Rhodes  himself  it  may  be  well 
asserted,  that  he  does  bestride  this  narrow  world,  while 
his  friends  the  Doctor,  the  Captain,  and  the  "great 
slaughterer  of  great  game  in  Africa  "  walk  under  his  huge 
legs,  and  annex  territories  with  a  wave  of  the  lancet  larger 
than  France  and  Italy  united. 

One  thing  is  clear,  that  the  power  of  waging  war  must 
in  future  be  reserved  absolutely  and  exclusively  to  Her 
Majesty's  Government,  or  delegated  Governor,  such  as 
the  Viceroy  of  India.  The  character  of  the  Empire  must 
not  be  left  in  the  hands  of  such  men,  however  fit  they  may 
be  to  conduct  the  affairs  of  a  Commercial  Company,  or  to 
bleed  a  Patient  in  the  Hospital. 

But  it  may  be  retorted,  that  these  new  Companies  of 
the  19th  Century  are  but  following  the  steps  of  the  Great 
Company  of  the  last  two  Centuries,  which  conquered 
British  India.  The  circumstances  were  totally  different : 
the  East  India  Company  began  as  a  Commercial  Com- 
pany :  when  Empire  was  forced  upon  her,  she  ceased  to 


(  22  ) 

be  Commercial  and  became  Imperial  :  there  was  no  land- 
grabbing,  no  mining  for  gold,  no  stealing  the  property 
of  the  Natives  :  Look  round  India,  and  point  out  the 
European  Colonist,  who  has  ousted  any  Indian  from  his 
land,  his  home,  and  his  rights.  Ask  whether  the  population 
has  shrunk.  Does  not  the  last  Census  show,  that  it  in- 
creases thirty  Millions  in  a  decade,  that  all  the  vast  waste 
land,  which  we  found  in  the  plains,  are  now  occupied  by 
indigenous  cultivators.  If  there  were  fighting,  there  was  the 
fair  fighting  of  civilized  Nations  :  if  there  were  Native 
Chiefs,  they  were  warned  to  abstain  from  doing  such 
things,  as  we  the  paramount  power  disapproved  of,  before 
they  were  attached  :  they  were  not  driven  across  the 
boundary-Rivers,  and  their  lands  made  over  to  Britons. 
Many  of  their  Chiefs  were  sprung  from  the  people  quite 
as  barbarous,  quite  as  unscrupulous,  quite  as  much  at  the 
mercy  of  their  troops,  as  Lo-Bengula  is  described  as  being, 
yet  no  such  exterminating  barbarous  policy  was  adapted 
to  them  as  is  now  proposed.  Lo-Bcngula  might  have 
been  talked  over  ;  the  example  of  Chetewayo  should  have 
warned  us  :  the  example  of  Khama,  once  quite  as  great 
a  savage  as  Lo-Bengula  twenty  years  ago,  should  have 
encouraged  us  :  but  that  would  not  suit  the  Colonist  :  his 
was  an  earth-hunger  :  he  wanted  the  land  itself,  and  its 
potential  vegetable  and  mineral  resources,  not  the.  Govern- 
ment of  the  country,  which  satisfied  the  East  India 
Company. 


(        23        ) 

CHAPTER    III. 

Injury  to  the  Character  of  the  British  Nation. 

Character  does  not  go  for  much  in  these  days  :  but  still 
amidst  all  classes,  as  in  all  clubs,  there  is  a  standard, 
which  if  transgressed  causes  ostracism  and  expulsion. 

We  have  to  think  of  the  effect  of  these  proceedings  on  the 
population  of  these  Islands  :  the  Roman  populace  got  ac- 
customed to  the  sight  of  blood  by  the  never  ending  slaughter 
of  men  and  beasts  in  the  great  Flavian  Amphitheatre :  it 
gave  them  a  taste  for  blood  :  the  women  did  not  shrink  from 
seeing  a  dagger  thrust  through  the  bosom  of  an  unsuccess- 
ful gladiator,  whom  they  might  have  saved  by  a  motion  of 
their  hand  :  our  daily  papers  tell  us  how  these  volunteers 
slew  their  hundreds  :  Britons  read  in  the  train  with  a  kind 
of  wild  interest,  how  the  poor  naked  Africans  were  shot 
through  and  their  bodies  left  to  the  fowls  of  the  air :  it 
sounds  like  one  of  Rider  Haggard's  novels.  It  is 
notorious,  that  there  is  no  authority  from  the  Sovereign 
for  these  misdoings  :  the  Premier  in  the  House  of 
Commons  tells  us,  that  he  has  no  certain  information  of 
what  has  been  done.  There  is  a  kind  of  solemn  glory, 
that  surrounds  real  war,  when  Nation  meets  Nation  :  we 
feel  sure,  that  there  will  be  no  killing  in  cold  blood  of 
ambassadors  ;  no  giving  the  coup  de  grace  to  poor  wounded 
fellows  on  the  field,  for  it  must  be  noted,  that  the 
victorious  army  in  South  Africa  is  not  encumbered  with 
prisoners,  and  has  no  field-hospitals  for  the  wounded  : 
it  is  out  on  the  war-path  pure  and  simple :  the  Doctor 
packs  away  his  lancet,  and  buckles  on  his  sword  and 
pistol  :  all  this  hardens  the  public  mind.  In  the  same 
issue  of  the  Times,  that  records  the  slaughter  of  the 
Matabele  by  the  Company's  agents,  we  have  in  another 
column  the  annual  report  of  the  commercial  proceedings 
of  the  Company,  and  the  dividend  liquidated  in  blood. 
The  name  of  Lo-Bengula  will  go  down  to  posterity  in 
the  same  bracket  with  that  of  Boadicea,  Caractacus,  and 
the  Athenians,  and  Romans,  who  died  to  protect  their 
country  from  the  invader.  It  matters  not  on  the  ground 
of  Morality,  and  on  the  unchanging  law  of  Right  and 
Wrong,  that  Lo-Bengula  was  a  barbarous  Chief  on  the 
lowest  round  of  human  civilization,  whose  father  Moselit- 
catze  had  risen  from  the  rank  of  a  common  Zulu  spearsman 


(  24  ) 

to  the  position  of  a  King :  Ranjit  Sing,  the  Lion  of  the 
Panjab,  the  reputed  father  of  Duleep  Sing,  did  the  same. 
It  matters  a  great  deal  on  the  score  of  Morality,  that  this 
unprincipled  invasion  of  an  independent  territory  is  made 
from  the  most  sordid,  and  lucre-desiring,  motives  by  the 
agent  of  a  Chartered  Company,  assuming  the  authority 
of  the  Sovereign  of  a  great,  highly  civilized,  Christian 
country,  which  places  Religion  before  Lust,  and  Justice 
before  arbitrary  Spoliation  ;  at  least  it  has  hitherto  been 
supposed  to  do  so.  The  throne  of  the  Queen  is  based  on 
Righteousness. 

Mr.  Rider  Haggard  attacks  those,  who  have  spoken 
out,  such  as  the  Editor  of  TrutJi,  as  enemies,  and  maligners 
of  their  own  country  :  but  such  is  not  the  case.  The  House 
of  Commons  have  not  as  yet  accepted  this  policy  of 
Murder  and  Rapine  :  the  great  director  of  the  Company 
has  not  yet  been  made  a  Baronet,  though  he  has  qualified 
himself  for  the  honour  by  providing  himself  with  a  bloody 
red  hand  independent  of  the  Herald's  office.  It  is  very 
well  for  a  Missionary  of  the  London  Missionary  Society  to 
state  in  the  Newspapers,  that  the  Matabele  are  worthless 
and  incorrigible.  Are  att  worthless  folk  to  be  destroyed 
on  that  plea  ?  Is  it  well  to  wade  through  slaughter  to  a 
gold  mine  ?  Was  every  possible  expedient  of  conciliation 
exhausted  ?  Should  we  apply  such  principles  to  the  men 
on  strike  in  the  coal  mines,  the  Anarchists,  and  Socialists^ 
of  this  country  ?  The  poor  ignorant  Matabele  acted  in- 
entire  ignorance  of  the  change  of  environment,  which  had 
happened  to  them  :  they  had  unconsciously  passed  over  a 
great  gulf  of  centuries  as  far  as  regards  civilization. 

The  Times,  in  its  issue  of  Nov.  24,  goes  too  far  :  if  Lo- 
Bengula  was  so  contemptible  a  power,  that  an  M.D.  with 
his  lancet  was  able  to  dispose  of  him,  then  why  all  this 
sensational  writing  in  its  own  columns  ?  It  is  supposed, 
that  the  Matabele  bladder  has  been  pricked  by  the  lancet, 
and  that  the  country  is  now  open  to  the  gold  digger  :  but 
we  read,  that  the  great  Zulu  race  spread  Northward  from 
Zululand,  and  under  different  names,  Matabele,  Angoni, 
Wagangwara,  even  up  to  the  confines  of  Victoria  Nyanza, 
carried  on  their  depredations :  that  the  gangs  were  not  all 
pure  Zulu  by  race,  though  dressed,  or  undressed,  as  Zulu, 
for  the  youths  of  kindred  tribes,  who  loved  plunder  rather 
than  work,  became  enrolled  in  their  ranks,  so  that  in  fact,  a 
Zulu  camp  was  a  cave  of  Adullam.  We  may  hear  more 
of  them  still.     It  would  have  been  safer  to  have  followed 


(  25  ) 

the  example  of  wiser  statesmen,  and  have  fixed  some 
Hmits  to  the  sphere  of  our  ubiquitous  interests.  In  the 
Times  of  Nov.  23,  we  read  how  that  redoubtable  chieftain, 
Capt.  Lugard  in  his  new  book  recommends  the  annexa- 
tion of  Zanzibar,  and  the  extinguishment  of  the  Arab 
interests  on  the  Continent.  Treaties  do  not  go  for  much 
with  such  filibusters.  When  Lt.  Mizon,  and  the  French 
Press,  put  forward  analogous  claims,  affecting  the  sacred, 
inviolate,  twenty  years  old,  rights  of  Great  Britain,  and 
hints  are  made  as  to  the  rights  of  France  to  Lake 
Chad,  how  deeply  indignant  is  the  British  Press,  and  yet, 
when  it  suits  an  influential  personage,  a  monied  interest, 
a  political  party,  to  sweep  away  a  nation,  unhappily  a 
black-skinned  nation,  scarcely  a  single  person  is  found  to 
beg  for  a  little  delay,  and  a  calm  consideration  of  the 
consequences. 

In  future  generations,  when  the  conduct  of  Britons  of  this 
century,  their  brutal  treatment  of  inferior  races  and  their 
unbounded  rapacity,  so  shamelessly  evidenced,  their  earth- 
greed,  diamond-greed,  gold-greed  (quocumque  modo  rem)  is 
discussed,  it  will  seem  as  nothing  compared  with  the  shame- 
less hypocrisy  of  the  middle  classes,  so-called  pious,  and 
making  a  pretence  of  benevolence,  preaching  peace,  yet 
practising  war,  and  hounding  on  their  countrymen  to 
plunder  and  rapine  :  there  will  be  heard  one  or  two  voices 
asking,  can  this  be  right  ?  Have  Britons  received  a  com- 
mission from  their  God  Mammon,  analogous  to  that,  v/hich 
the  Hebrews  received  by  the  voice  of  Moses,  to  occupy 
lands  belonging  to  others,  take  possession  of  vineyards 
planted  by  others,  and  slay  the  owners  of  the  soil  ?  Is  it 
right  to  teach  the  young  men,  not  soldiers  by  profession, 
but  merely  adventurers,  and  hunters  of  wild  game,  to 
whet  their  spears  in  African  blood  ?  And  yet  after  all, 
when  Rhodes  has  disappeared  it  will  be  manifest,  that 
there  is  a  God,  who  judges  the  Earth,  and  the  British 
Nation,  to  whom  so  much  of  material  power  and  wealth 
has  been  granted,  is  required  to  evidence  a  much  greater 
amount  of  self-restraint,  noble  abstention  from  blood  and 
rapine.  Can  we  do  such  great  wickedness  and  sin  against 
God  ?  Some  humiliation  would  be  the  just  punishment  of 
this  National  sin. 

It  is  no  new  idea,  no  bran-new  conception  of  Mr. 
Rhodes'  fertile  genius,  to  kill  out  as  vermin  so-called  in- 
ferior races  for  the  sake  of  their  land  and  their  gold.  The 
Spaniards  were  before  us  in  the  career  of  extermination  : 


(        26        ) 

what  is  Spain  now?  A  telegraphic  line  from  Majuba  Hill 
to  Khartum  would  merely  be  a  connecting  link  of  shame. 
The  Poet  Horace  writes  nearly  two  thousand  years  ago 
of  the 

"juvenum  recens 
"  Examen,  Eois  timendum 
"  Partibus,  oceanoque  rubro." 
Young   men   commencing  their  career  as  slaughterers  of 
game,  and  then  rising  to  the  glory  of  slaughtering  naked 
Africans.    The  English  Poet  Byron  in  his  "Childe  Harold" 
seems  to  have  foreshadowed  this,  and  his  lines  are  readily 
parodied  : 

There  are  the  Matabdle  all  at  play, 
Butchered  to  make  Associations  pay. 
If  anything  can  be  worse  than   killing    men   to   make  a 
holiday,  surely  it  is  to  kill  them  to  run  up  the  dividends 
of    a    Commercial     Company.      Another    English     Poet, 
Cowper,  puts  into  the  mouth  of  Boadicea,  the  Queen  of 
the  Britons,  what  may  apply  to  Great  Britain  now : 
"  Rome  shall  perish  :  write  this  world 

'•  In  the  blood  which  she  has  spilt : 
"  Perish,  hated,  and  abhorred  : 

"  Full  of  vengeance,  full  of  guilt." 

A  Danish  lady  called  a  few  days  ago,  and  casually 
remarked  on  the  wonderful  success  of  the  Matabele-cam- 
paign  :  her  hostess  asked,  whether  she,  being  a  foreigner, 
and  free  from  National  Chauvanism,  had  ever  reflected  on 
the  criminal  side  of  the  proceedings.  She  naively  remarked, 
that  this  view  of  the  subject  had  not  occurred  to  her  :  all 
that  she  knew  about  the  matter  was  that  she  had  invested 
all  her  savings  in  the  "Rudd  "  portion  of  the  South  African 
Company,  and  that  Mr.  Rudd  was  a  delightful  man. 

A  lady  called  on  another  day,  full  of  grief,  because  the 
son  of  a  neighbour  had  been  killed  in  Capt.  Wilson's 
party  :  she  spoke  of  the  Matabele-king  as  a  murderer. 
Had  the  poor  Matabele,  who  were  killed  in  hundreds, 
no  Fathers  or  Mothers,  or  wives,  or  little  children  ?  and  yet 
they  were  mowed  down  by  Catling  guns,  because  they  had 
the  misfortune  to  tend  their  herds  in  a  country  with  auri- 
ferous deposits. 

The  white  man  first  approaches  the  African  chief  as  a 
cringing  mendicant,  and  asks  humbly  for  leave  to  occupy 
certain  portions  of  the  tribal  land.  The  African  chief 
knows  well  enough,  that  he  has  no  authority  to  give  away 
an  acre,  yet  he  is  tempted   by  pecuniary  offers  :  he  can 


(  27  ) 

neither  read  nor  write  :  he  is  a  helpless  infant  as  far  as 
legal  matters :  the  mendicant  then  turns  into  a  bully  :  if 
the  Chief  attempts  to  protect  his  own  country,  customs, 
and  rights,  he  is  called  a  barbarian  :  no  doubt  Julius 
Caesar  called  the  ancient  Britons  barbarians,  and  treated 
them  as  such.  History  repeats  itself.  Julius  Caesar  was 
not  a  Christian  :  and  the  last  century  before  Anno  Domini 
cannot  fairly  be  compared  with  the  19th  century,  A.D. 

Then  comes  the  difficulty  of  securing  immunity  to  am- 
bassadors :  at  any  rate  Lo-Bengula  has  not  failed  here. 
He,  however,  sent  ambassadors  to  the  British  camp  :  their 
fears  were  roused,  and  they  attempted  to  escape :  the 
sentries  shot  them  down  :  of  course  it  was  a  mistake. 

"  Tati,Ja?i.  10. 

"  The  investigation  made  by  the  court  of  inquiry  into  the  circum- 
"  stances  of  the  shooting  of  Lobengula's  envoys  near  this  place  has 
"  resulted  in  the  complete  acquittal  of  the  men  concerned. 

"  Major  Gould-Adams  attributes  the  occurrence  to  the  negligence 
"of  Mr.  James  Dawson,  who  was  in  charge  of  the  indunas,  and  his 
"  omission  to  inform  the  officials,  that  Sir  Henry  Loch  has  asked 
"  Lobengula  to  send  envoys,  and  that  they  might,  therefore,  be 
"expected.  The  evidence  agrees  with  the  account  given  by  Ingubu- 
"  gubo,  the  King's  brother." 

If  Lo-Bengula  had  killed  a  white  ambassador,  only  by  a 
fnistake,  we  should  not  have  heard  the  end  of  it.  A 
French  officer  appears  to  have  been  killed  in  another  of 
our  war-paths  by  a  mistake  on  the  part  of  the  British 
forces  :  every  kind  of  excuse  is  offered  :  if  Africans  are  cut 
down  by  the  hundred,  who  cares  a  straw?  If  an  African 
chief  starts  on  the  war-path  on  his  own  account,  to  extend 
his  dominion,  he  is  called  a  barbarian,  and  an  enemy  of 
civilization  :  but  if  a  British,  or  French,  adventurer  commits 
the  same  atrocity  in  a  foreign  country,  specially  in  Africa, 
he  is  supposed  to  be  full  of  benevolence,  though  he  slay 
innocent  thousands. 

A  continental  Journal  asks,  whether  there  is  any  reason 
to  believe  that  the  Jacks  and  Toms,  who  have  suddenly 
become  not  only  rulers  of  Lo-Bengula's  kingdom,  but 
owners  of  the  soil  of  all  his  subjects,  will  be  in  any  degree 
more  just  and  considerate  towards  the  ousted  proprietors 
than  the  Matabele  were  to  the  Mashona  in  their  day? 
Will  they  pay  the  men,  who  are  forced  to  labour  in  their 
mines,  and  then  are  kept  in  confinement  lest  they  should 
abscond  ?  Do  the  enthusiastic  adventurers  of  South  Africa 
think,  that  the  world  was  only  made  to  serve  their  purposes, 
or  in  the  Poet  Wordworth's  words  : 


(        28        ) 

"  The  grand  old  rule, 
*'  Suffices  us,  the  simple  plan, 
"  That  they  should  get,  who  have  the  power, 
"  And  they  should  keep  who  can." 
The  Dukes  of  Abercorn  and  Fife  are  full  of  compliments 
to  Mr.  Rhodes  for  enhancing  the  value  of  the  shares  of 
their  Company  by  working  the  mines  so  cheaply  :    How 
is  it   done  ?    we   dare   not   say.      Other  Colonists,  having 
destroyed    with    their   cannon    the    Matabele   Tribe,   have 
taken  possession  of  the  boundless   pasture  grounds,  their 
flocks,  and  metallic  deposits,  for  the  profit  of  the  Company  : 
Lucky  shareholders  !  their  shares  are  rising  in  value  :  they 
are  laying  up  treasures,  dabbled  in  blood,  in  this  world  : 
will  it  be  well  for  them  in  the  next  ?  perhaps  they  are 
Sadducees  and  Agnostics,   and   have  no   future  at  all,  at 
least  for  them.     In  a  few  years  an  important  history  will 
be  written,  very  different   from   the    eulogiums  of  Dukes, 
and  hungry  shareholders,  under  the  title  of 

AURI    SACRA    FAMES. 
No  such  lamentable  incidents  have  occurred  in  the  history 
of  the  British  Nation  during  this  century. 

In  the  Critias  of  Plato  (113  B.)  the  position  of  Great 
Britain  seems  to  be  described  prophetically  under  the  fable 
of  Atlantis,  an  island  outside  the  straits  of  Gibraltar  of 
unrivalled  greatness.  Every  product  of  the  Earth  was 
gathered  to  the  harbours  of  this  famous  people,  the  pro- 
tegees of  Poseidon  :  their  docks  were  of  marble  :  their 
palaces  and  storehouses  of  stupendous  size  and  beauty : 
their  harbours  were  crowded  with  vessels  from  every 
quarter  of  the  world,  and  filled  day  and  night  with  the 
sound  of  the  voices  of  merchants  and  the  din  of  traffic. 
For  a  time  they  bore  meekly  the  large  measure  of  their 
prosperity.  But  at  last  the  divine  element  within  them 
was  overpowered  by  base  passions  :  Unjust  aggrandizement, 
and  lust  of  power,  seemed  to  them  the  greatest  of  blessings, 
and  they  became  blind  to  their  own  shame. 

Vengeance  fell  upon  them  :  convulsions  of  Nature  took 
place,  and  the  great  Island  beyond  the  pillars  of  Hercules 
sank  beneath  the  Sea,  and  all  were  destroyed.  They  were 
unworthy  of  Liberty  and  Life,  because  they  ceaselessly, 
for  their  own  mean  selfish  objects,  desired  to  destroy  the 
Liberty  and  Life  of  others  :  they  coveted  other  men's 
lands,  goods,  cattle,  and  gold,  and  lost  their  own,  like  great 
Tyre  of  old,  and  they  disappeared  hated  and  unlamented. 

Let  us  take  warning  in  time. 


C      29      ) 


CHAPTER   IV. 

Survey  of  Africa. 

Burke  in  his  denunciation  of  Warren  Hastings,  a  century 
ago,  spoke  thus  :  "  Animated  with  all  the  avarice  of  age, 
"  and  the  impetuosity  of  youth,  the  Britons  rolled  into 
"  India,  one  wave  after  the  other,  and  there  was  nothing 
"  before  the  eyes  of  the  people  of  India  but  an  endless, 
"  hopeless  prospect  of  a  new  flight  of  birds  of  prey  with 
"  appetites  continually  ravening  for  food,  which  was  con- 
"  tinually  wanting  :  we  boast  now  of  living  in  an  age,  when 
"  consciences  are  more  sensitive,  and  in  which  there  pre- 
"  vails  a  greater  regard  for  the  rights  of  others  than  in 
"  the  past.  I  trust  that  our  conduct  as  a  people  with 
"  respect  to   India   now  may  justify  this  boast." 

What  would  Burke  say  now  with  regard  to  Africa  ?  When 
Lord  Aberdare  quoted  these  words  at  the  Royal  Geo- 
graphical Society  in  1883,  with  regard  to  New  Guinea, 
he,  the  President  of  the  Niger  Company,  added  "Let  us 
"  know  more  about  these  people,  and  not  fall  back  on  the 
"  plea  of  ignorance  to  justify  National  indifference  to  the 
"  violation  of  their  rights,  and  the  sacrifice  of  their  lives." 
What  does  Lord  Aberdare  say  with  regard  to  Mr.  Rhodes' 
proceedings  ? 

Lord  Palmerston  wrote  to  Napoleon  III.  as  follows  : 
(quoted  from  Fortnightly  Review ^  February  1887,  p.  174) 
"  How  could  we  combine  to  become  the  unprovoked 
"  aggressors,  to  imitate  in  Africa  the  partition  of  Poland, 
"  the  conquest  of  Morocco  for  France,  of  Tunis  for  Sardinia, 
"  and  of  Egypt  for  England,  and  how  could  England  and 
"  France,  who  have  guaranteed  the  integrity  of  the  Turkish 
"  Empire,  turn  round  and  wrest  Egypt  from  the  Sultan." 
What  would  Lord  Palmerston  say  to  Mr.  Rhodes  ? 

The  Poet  Pope,  in  his  Epistles  dating  back  nearly  two 
hundred  years,  in  describing  the  unhappy  position  of  the 
North  American  Indians,  then  crushed  out  of  existence  by 
the  white  man,  describes  the  hopes  of  those  poor  savages. 

"  Some  safer  world  in  depths  of  woods  embraced, 

"  Some  happier  island  in  the  watery  waste, 

"  Where  slaves  once  more  their  native  land  behold, 

"  No  fiends  torment,  NO  CHRISTIANS  THIRST  FOR  GOLD." 


/^^ 


(       30       ) 

What  would  the  Poet  Pope  have  thought  of  the  rush  of 
colonists  to  secure  allotments  of  gold  diggings,  of  the 
slaughter  of  the  Matabele,  and  the  violent  spoliation  of  a 
country,  not  by  a  recognized  Government,  but  a  Company 
of  Commercial  adventurers  ? 

Years  ago  I  visited  Horace's  villa  near  Rome,  and  my 
thoughts  carried  me  back  to  one  of  the  Poet's  entertain- 
ments, when  he  received  Maecenas,  the  Orators,  Poets, 
and  Generals,  of  the  day.  News  was  coming  in  from  the 
Danube,  the  Euphrates,  the  African  Sahara,  Spain,  and 
distant  Britain  :  it  was  one  continuous  conversation  of 
bloodshed,  inflicted  by,  or  suffered  by,  the  Parthians,  the 
Teutons,  the  Iberians,  the  Gauls,  and  the  Britons.  In 
their  idle  hours  the  guests  solaced  themselves  by  the 
spectacle  of  Barbarians  killed  in  the  Amphitheatres.  Is  it 
not  the  same  now  with  the  British  Nation  as  regards 
Africa  ?  All  round  the  Continent  the  poor  Africans  are 
sustaining  an  unequal  conflict  against  the  Colonist,  the 
Soldier,  the  Geographical  Explorer,  or  the  importer  of 
deadly  liquour  :  killing,  killing,  killing,  is  the  order  of  the 
day  :  in  former  generations  the  Anglo-Saxons  stole  a  few 
thousand  Africans  from  Africa  :  in  this  generation  they  are 
stealing  Africa  from  the  Africans,  and  killing  by  millions. 
The  fight  is  over  in  Australia :  there  is  not  a  native  sur- 
viving in  Tasmania :  in  Polynesia  the  natives  are  dwindling 
in  number.  In  Melanesia  the  Kanaka  are  being  sacrificed 
to  Queensland. 

In  Africa  we  have  read  about  the  Matabele  :  cross  the 
Zambesi,  and  come  upon  the  field  of  the  Slaughter  of  Lake 
Nyasa.  It  was  understood,  that  when  the  boats  were  ready 
signal  vengeance  would  be  taken  on  Makanjira  for  the 
treacheiy  practised  upon  Captain  Maguire.  A  few  weeks 
later  news  was  received,  that  Makanjira  himself  had  been 
shot  by  his  nephew,  but  that  a  second  Makanjira  reigned 
in  his  stead,  and  that  the  situation  was  in  no  way  altered. 
A  strong  slave-raiding  power,  holding  positions  on  the 
south  and  south-eastern  shores  of  the  Lake,  still  defied 
British  authority,  and  refused  to  make  reparation  for 
the  massacre  of  Captain  Maguire  and  his  companions. 
The  destruction  of  this  power  appears  from  the  telegram 
received  last  month  to  have  been  accomplished.  The 
expedition,  which  was  commanded  in  person  by  Mr.  H.  H. 
Johnston,  was  composed  of  the  Indian  troops,  under  Major 
Johnson  and  Captain  Edwards,  and  of  the  sailors  of  the 
two  gunboats,  under  Commander  Robertson  and  Lieutenant 


(        31        ) 

Villiers,  and  it  has  been  a  complete  success.  All  Makanjira's 
positions  were  captured,  a  number  of  slaves  released,  and  a 
fort  to  be  called  Fort  Maguire  has  been  established  on  the 
site  of  Makanjira's  village.  The  exact  date  of  the  opera- 
tions is  not  known. 

Hear  the  Archdeacon.  "  Let  him  be  wiped  out,"  what- 
ever may  be  thought  of  it,  is  the  sentiment  universally 
expressed  by  the  great  chiefs  of  Yaoland.  This  drastic 
recommendation  does  not  find  favour  with  the  Archdeacon. 
"It  cannot  be  doubted,  that  if  Makanjira's  people  escape 
"  punishment,  or  get  off  with  just  their  houses  burnt  down^ 
"and  a  hundred  or  so  of  their  people  killed" — in  another 
part  of  the  letter  it  is  written,  "  with  only  the  loss  of  two 
"  or  three  hundred  men  " — "  the  whole  country  to  the  east 
"  of  Lake  Nyasa  will  be  shaken  in  its  growing  belief  in 
"  British  force  and  British  resource,  and  will  cause  trouble 
"  for  many  years  to  come.  We  would  like  to  ask,  if  force  is 
"only  to  be  shown  on  the  broad  waters  of  the  Lake  and 
"  its  shores  }''  Doubtless,  away  from  the  protection  of  the 
gun -boats  and  troops  on  the  west  coast  of  the  Lake, 
travellers  might  have  to  take  their  lives  in  their  hands,  but 
for  all  that,  the  utterance  of  the  Archdeacon  is  to  be 
deprecated.  It  is  consistent  neither  with  the  work  of  in- 
augurating missions,  nor  with  the  spirit,  which  should  pre- 
side over  Christian  enterprise. 

More  explanatory  of  the  situation,  and  calmer  in  its 
terms,  is  the  letter  written  by  Bishop  Hornby  on  the  same 
day.  "We  certainly,"  says  the  Bishop,  "seem  to  have 
"  arrived  at  a  very  interesting,  if  not  a  very  critical, 
"  moment  in  the  development  of  this  part  of  Central 
"  Africa,"  and,  employing  similar  terms  to  those  of  the 
Archdeacon,  proceeds  to  describe  the  condition  of  the 
country.  "  Now,  for  the  first  time,  the  tribes  which 
"  people  the  borders  of  the  Lake  seem  to  be  awaking 
"  suddenly  to  the  fact  that  they  are  face  to  face  with  an 
"  aggressive  military  Power,  a  Power  that  is  requiring 
"  from  them  a  submission  and  obedience  in  forms  that 
"  are  strange  to  them,  and  must  for  the  time  seem  unreason- 
"able.  The  question  is.  Will  these  forces  be  carefully 
"  directed  ?  There  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  they  will 
"  not  be.  But  as  they  are  now  for  the  first  time  to  be  put 
"  methodically  into  action,  backed  by  two  gunboats  now 
"  afloat,  and  two  hundred  trained  Sikh  soldiers,  with  native 
"additions,  we  cannot  help  feeling  anxious  for  the  ultimate 
" result."     .     .     .     "So  you  see  we  have  some  reason  for 


(  32  ) 

^'anxiety,  but  not  for  fear."  In  a  very  guarded  way  the 
Bishop  hints,  that  it  is  advisable  to  maintain  friendly  rela- 
tions with  the  Yao  tribes,  who,  if  driven  from  the  Lake 
border,  will  become  not  only  slave-dealers,  but,  away  in 
their  mountain  fastnesses,  slave-raiders.  No  doubt  the 
position  is  one  of  extreme  difficulty,  which  can  be  sur- 
mounted only  by  great  tact,  forethought,  and  patience. 

The  Missionary  here  has  clearly  no  stomach  for  the  fight, 
and  the  remark  is  made,  that  in  that  quarter  they  have  not 
got  used  to  the  sight  of  bloodshed  :  the  Arm  of  the  Flesh 
must  do  its  work,  though  in  doing  so  much  may  result, 
which  the  Missionary  will  bitterly  deplore  :  however,  the 
appetite  comes  in  eating :  on  the  Nyasa  there  is  still 
a  certain  squeamishness  :  they  cannot  with  any  consistency 
hail  the  Arm  of  Flesh,  to  which  they  can  appeal  in  time  of 
danger:  at  Uganda  the  Missionary,  Protestant  and  Romish, 
have  got  over  that  feeling  of  squeamishness,  and  are  quite 
ready  to  fight  even  with  each  other,  burn  each  other's  stations 
and  chapels  :  one  Missionary  actually  set  fire  to  a  village, 
and  on  his  return  to  England  published  a  pamphlet  justi- 
fying it.  The  so-called  Arab  is  looked  upon  as  a  most 
unjustifiable  intruder  into  Equatorial  Africa,  but  he  was 
there  centuries  before  French,  British,  or  German,  and 
belongs  to  the  people,  being  an  Arabized  Swahili,  while  the 
Europeans  are  strangers.  The  audacity  of  the  Equatorial 
Company  far  exceeds  that  of  the  South  African  :  the 
climate  in  the  latter  is  propitious  ;  Uganda  is  nearly  under 
the  Equator  :  it  is  to  be  hoped,  that  the  British  Govern- 
ment will  be  wise  in  time  and  clear  out  of  it :  its  retention 
will  be  a  lasting  thorn  :  the  death  of  the  two  Portals, 
deputed  only  to  visit  this  Region,  from  climatic  causes, 
ought  to  be  an  object-lesson  to  the  Foreign  Secretary :  let 
us  be  wise  in  time,  ere  we  read  of  more  slaughter,  more 
valuable  lives  lost.  It  sounds  strange  to  those  familiar 
with  British  India,  and  its  fifty  Million  Mahometans, 
that  it  is  proposed  by  some  to  exclude  professors  of  Islam 
from  Uganda  :  this  is,  indeed,  a  new  departure. 

In  the  Kongo  Free  State  there  has  been  fighting  and 
slaughter,  and  more  is  expected  :  A  remarkable  expression 
is  used  in  one  of  the  notices  from  Brussels,  complaining 
that  one  African  was  shot  instead  of  receiving  a  "  traitor's  " 
death  :  it  is  not  stated,  what  that  form  of  death  is,  and 
how  an  African  fighting  for  his  own  country  can  be 
called  a  traitor  to  a  petty  European  Sovereign,  dwelling 
thousands  of  miles  away  ?  The  occupation  of  that  Region 


(       33       ) 

SO  far  away  from  the  Sea  on  either  the  East  or  West 
Coasts,  seems  improbable.  The  usual  mode  of  chastise- 
ment of  an  offender  is  to  burn  his  villages,  which  of  course 
entails  destruction  of  female  and  infant  life. 

From  West  Africa  reports  tell  us  that  200  Sofa  were 
killed  :  four  days  previously  fifty  more  had  been  killed  : 
there  is  every  chance  of  there  being  further  slaughter. 
The  view  taken  of  African  life  is  shown  in  the  enclosed  : 

**  Such  are  the  black  reiters,  whom  the  English  Soldiers  are  about  to  fight  on 
**  the  borders  of  Sierra  Leone.  They  have  perpetrated  the  same  crimes  on 
"the  territory  of  this  colony  as  in  French  territory,  and  they  are  about  to  be 
"unearthed  by  the  English  troops  with  the  same  energy  that  our  Senegal 
"troops  have  displayed  against  them.  That  is  a  piece  of  intelligence,  which 
"can  only  be  received  with  the  greatest  satisfaction  alike  in  France,  in 
"  Senegal,  and  in  the  French  Sudan.  England  will  have  deserved  well  of 
"  civilization  and  of  humanity  when,  in  her  turn,  she  shall  have  rid  the  regions 
"  of  the  Upper  Niger  of  this  scourge,  which  ruins  them." 

Thus  it  is  coldly  determined  to  exterminate  a  race  occupy- 
ing their  ancestral  lands,  and  the  policy  is  made  known  to 
the  British  Nation  and  the  World  :  When  Dr.  Pasteur 
proposed  to  exterminate  rabbits,  a  feeble  protest  on  the 
part  of  a  small  Association  was  heard,  but  no  one  protests 
against  this  deliberatly  proposed  vivisection  of  Africans. 

Lo-Bengula  fled  and  died  :  why  did  he  not  surrender  ? 
the  fate  of  his  Ambassador,  as  reported  to  him,  warned 
him.  The  French  have  a  different  record.  "  Pursued  by 
*'  our  troops,  and  by  the  population,  which  had  rallied  to 
"  the  new  King,  abandoned,  moreover,  by  all  the  members 
"  of  the  Royal  Family,  Behanzin,  in  dread  of  being  captured, 
"  surrendered  unconditionally  yesterday  at  Ajego,  north- 
"  west  of  Abomey.  He  is  at  present  at  Goho.  He  will  be 
"  despatched  according  to  your  instructions  to  Senegal  by 
"  the  Segond.  The  Ministers  will  be  sent  to  Gaboon." 
The  Debats  remarks  that  "  Behanzin  has  certainly  reckoned 
"  on  our  generosity,  and  he  was  right.  He  has  fought 
"  bravely  ;  he  has  defended  his  kingdom  with  a  tenacity  and 
"  courage  to  which  we  have  always  rendered  homage.  He 
"  is  now  vanquished.  W^e  owe  him  honourable  treatment. 
"  He  will  find  it  in  Senegal." 

Perhaps  the  Germans  in  the  Cameroons  outdo  the 
English  in  their  mode  of  dealing  with  the  poor  African. 
I  quote  the  Newspaper-Report.  Herr  Leist's  report  of  the 
mutiny  in  the  Cameroons  is  now  published  by  the  official 
colonial  organ.  It  contains  nothing  further  of  interest 
than  what  is  already  known.  There  is  no  doubt,  that  he 
greatly  misused  his  powers  in  causing  the  native  women 
3 


(        34        ) 

to  be  flogged.  The  Kolnische  Zeitung^  however,  is  in  a 
position  to  state,  that  Herr  Leist  confesses  in  his  report 
that  he  caused  the  wives  of  the  native  soldiers  to  be  flogged, 
because  they  had  neglected  their  work.  Dr.  Kayser's 
honest  and  straightforward  reply,  promising  a  thorough 
investigation  and  the  punishment  of  the  guilty,  will  doubt- 
less temporarily  allay  the  storm  of  indignation  aroused  by 
this  unfortunate  incident.  But  one  may  venture  to  doubt, 
whether  the  flogging  of  women  in  any  circumstances  is 
calculated  to  hasten  on  the  reign  of  European  civilization 
in  Africa. 

Further  Expeditions  and  Murders  are  contemplated  in 
the  Nile  Basin  :  Some  enthusiasts  write  about  the  occu- 
pations of  Lado  at  a  considerable  expense  to  the  British 
Government :  it  is  to  be  hoped,  that  the  matter  will  be 
dropped  :  This  is  but  another  proof,  that  the  lust  of 
annexation  is  like  the  thirst  of  the  confirmed  drunkard. 
"  Quo  plus  habeas,  eo  plus  cupias." 

The  strange  feature  is,  that  in  all  these  reports,  the 
African  Patriots,  who  fight  like  Bruce  and  William  Tell, 
for  their  hereditary  land,  are  called  "rebels,"  and,  if  they 
happen  to  kill  any  of  their  ruthless  invaders,  it  is  called 
**  Murder,"  while  the  white  man,  who  kills  the  African  is 
called  a  Hero  :  the  time  will  soon  come  for  carrying  away 
scalps.  This  indicates  how  very  low  have  fallen  in  certain 
quarters  the  moral  opinion  with  regard  to  taking  away 
human  life,  and  stealing  other  people's  property. 


(       35       ) 

CHAPTER  V. 

Meetings  in  London  and  Cape  Town  :  The 
British  Taxpayer. 

The  South  African  Commercial  Companies  held  their 
periodical  meetings  in  London  :  It  is  a  strange  feature  to 
hear  of  slaughter  and  annexation,  as  part  of  the  assets 
and  profits  of  a  Company  established  by  Charter :  yet  so 
it  is  :  no  blame  attaches  to  the  Shareholders,  but  to  the 
Directors  :  The  Directors  of  some  Companies  err  by  being 
too  sanguine  in  their  operations  :  the  Directors  of  these 
Companies  err  by  being  too  bloody.  Among  other  Meetings 
was  one  held  of  the  London  Chamber  of  Commerce,  to 
hear  a  well  known  globe-trotter  describe  Zambesia,  to 
which  he  had  paid  a  short  visit :  he  naively  describes  how 
the  ball  of  annexation  was  set  rolling.  The  opening  of 
the  Suez  Canal  in  1869,  and  the  Brussels  Conference  of 
1876,  were  among  the  principal  causes,  that  led  to  the 
re-discovery  and  partition  of  South  and  Central  Africa.  It 
was  only  when  some  of  the  European  Powers,  developing 
colonial  aspirations,  began  to  partition  Africa,  that  Britain 
took  steps  to  secure  a  portion  of  the  regions  rapidly 
being  appropriated.  Germans,  Boers,  and  Portuguese 
being  ready  to  lay  hands  on  Matabeleland,  it  became 
evident^  that  no  time  was  to  be  lost,  if  Britain  were  to  secure 
the  Zambesi  as  the  northern  limit  of  her  South  African 
extension.  He  then  referred  to  the  treaty  of  amity  and 
peace,  which  was  concluded  with  Lo-Bengula  in  1888,  and 
afterwards  alluded  to  the  growth  of  the  British  South 
Africa  Company  out  of  the  concession  then  obtained  by 
Mr.  C.  D.  Rudd  and  others.  It  is  just  as  if  a  burglar  forced 
himself  into  a  house,  and  then  excused  himself  to  the 
Magistrate  on  the  plea,  that  if  he  had  not  committed  the 
burglary  some  one  else  would  have  done  it.  Incidentally 
he  tells  us  among  other  facts  :  (i)  that  Matabeleland  is  only 
the  first  mouthful,  and  must  lead  on  to  advance  North- 
wards and  the  conquest  of  all  Zambesia,  (2)  that  Matabele- 
land is  "  a  white  man's  country  "  :  this  is  not  confirmed  by 
the  experience  of  Mr.  Pelly,  the  Missionary  quoted  above. 
While  carefully  avoiding  any  extreme  view,  so  far  as  he 
possibly  could,  he  thought  it  his  duty  to  state,  from  personal 
observation,  that  the  Colonial  Sentiment  was  one,  that 
must  be  reckoned  with,  whether  at  times  it  were  palatable 


(        36        ) 

in  this  country  or  not.  Recent  news  from  South  Africa 
tended  to  strengthen  his  opinion,  and  it  was  certain,  that, 
whatever  the  ultimate  settlement  of  Matabeleland  might 
be,  the  colonists  on  the  spot  would  claim  the  management 
of  their  own  affairs.  He  then  speaks  of  South  Africa  as 
the  "  inheritance  "  of  the  British  People  almost  in  the  terms 
used  by  Moses  as  regards  the  country  of  the  Canaanites, 
etc.,  which  were  given  to  the  Hebrews.  This  is  indeed  a 
doctrine  subversive  of  all  Rights  of  Nationality,  or  Property, 
all  the  dictates  of  Religion  and  Justice.  The  super- 
abundant population  of  Great  Britain  must  wade  through 
blood  to  a  competency  :  the  markets  of  South  Africa  must 
be  kept  open  for  the  manufacturers  of  Great  Britain  at  the 
price  of  the  slaughter  of  all  the  inhabitants  :  and  this  is 
the  Nineteenth  Century  ! 

From  Cape  Town  comes  the  report  of  still  more  interest- 
ing speeches  :  Why  should  the  British  Taxpayer  pay  in 
future  one  single  farthing  to  support  so-called  British 
interests  in  South  Africa,  which  are  really  only  Africander 
interests?  The  speaker  quoted  above  says  so  distinctly, 
but  the  Imperial  Secretary  of  Cape  Town,  presumably  only 
a  British  official  of  the  Colonial  office,  speaks  thus  at  the 
Rhodes  banquet :  "  It  has  been  the  life's  labour  of  our 
"  distinguished  guest  to  remove  the  bolster  from  between 
"  the  various  States  and  various  races  of  this  great  country, 
"  to  induce  your  neighbours  to  say  *  God  bless  you,'  and  to 
"  prove  to  the  world,  that  a  man  may  be  at  once  a  good 
"  Imperialist,  and  a  good  Africander.  All  honour  to  him 
"  for  it,  I  say  ;  all  honour  to  him  !  And  now  that  South 
"  Africans  have  composed  their  differences,  or  are  in  a  fair 
"  way  to  do  so,  now  that  English  and  Dutch  have  shaken 
"  hands  and  agreed  to  combine  for  the  common  good, 
"we  are  beginning  to  find  our  bed  too  narrow  for  us." 
This  renders  expansion,  confiscation,  slaughter,  necessary. 
Great  Britain  is  to  be  used  as  a  cat's  paw  to  pick  the 
chesnuts  out  of  the  fire,  in  order  that  the  Africander  may 
enjoy  their  eating.  It  appears  that  ;^ioo,ocx)  per  annum 
are  paid  by  the  British  taxpayer  for  expansion  in 
Bechuana.  Railways  are  subsidized,  other  expenditure  is 
incurred,  and  all  this  is  done,  not  for  the  benefit  of  Great 
Britain,  but  to  improve  the  resources  of  the  Africander 
Republic.  Surely  the  time  is  come  to  button  up  our 
pockets,  and  send  no  more  money  to  Africa,  than  we  do 
the  United  States. 

Mr.  Rhodes  in  his  speeches  is  very  bold  :      With  one 


(       37       ) 

foot  in  Fort  Salisbury,  and  the  other  on  Table  Mount,  he 
claims  to  be  a  kind  of  duality  :  "  L'etat  c'est  moi."  In 
Matabeleland  he  is  a  blood-stained  conquerer  :  at  the 
banquet  at  Cape  Town  he  is  the  Prime  Minister  of  a 
Colony  with  a  Parliamentary  Legislature.  In  his  "  Facing- 
"both-ways"  attitude  he  is  an  Imperialist  from  one  point 
of  view,  and  an  Africander  from  another.  Such  kind  of 
politicians  generally  come  to  an  untimely  end  :  many  such^ 
a  bloated  self-seeking  figure  has  disappeared  suddenly, 
both  in  ancient  and  modern  times,  and  share  the  fate  of 
those,  who  seek  their  own  interests.  He  contemplates 
visiting  England  in  the  spring,  and  it  is  important  to  watch 
carefully  the  utterings  and  doings  of  this  Political  Proteus, 
who  is  acting  the  part  of  being  two  gentlemen  at  once. 
The  Mayor  of  Cape  Town,  in  proposing  his  health,  likened 
him  to  the  Three  Calendars,  passing  as  a  good  Briton,  a 
good  Colonist,  and  a  good  South  African  at  the  same 
time.  Mr.  Rhodes'  first  remark  was  startling.  He  had 
for  twelve  years  held,  that  the  Hinterland  was  a  reversion 
to  the  Cape.  Be  it  so,  but  Reversion  is  not  Possession. 
France  has  the  Reversion  of  the  Kongo  Free  State,  if 
Belgium  gives  it  up.  Mr.  Rhodes  is  living  upon  post 
obits.  The  Chartered  Company  holds  under  a  charter 
granted  by  the  Queen  of  Great  Britain.  He  darkly  re- 
marks— "  The  British  Government  possessed  but  a  small 
*'  majority  in  the  House  of  Commons,  and  it  had  an  ex- 
"  tremely  irate  section  of  its  forces  arrayed  against  it  on 
"  this  matter.  It  might  be,  that  this  would  result  in  the 
*'  dictation  of  a  settlement,  and  that  such  terms  would  be 
"  demanded  from  those,  who  had  shed  their  blood  in  the 
"  conquest  of  the  country,  as  would  be  unfair  to  them  and 
**  contrary  to  the  South  African  ideal.  Should  such  an 
"  event  occur,  he  knew  his  duty  as  first  Minister  of  the 
"  Crown  elected  of  the  people.  If,  unfortunately,  he  had 
"  to  fight  such  a  cause,  he  would  earnestly  and  resolutely 
**  fight  it  on  constitutional  lines  on  behalf  of  the  people  of 
"  this  country,  who  were  the  children  of  English  people, 
"  and  in  that  cause  he  would  appeal  for  support  to  the 
"  people  of  South  Africa."  His  speech  contains  some 
other  noteworthy  expressions  :  he  had  contemplated  the 
annexation  of  the  whole  country  up  to  the  Zambesi,  and 
beyond,  even  to  Lake  Tanganyika,  and  had  discussed  the 
matter  with  the  late  Governor,  Sir  Hercules  Robinson  : 
it  was  his  "  Hinterland,"  that  word,  which  has  caused  so 
much   bloodshed  all  over  Africa  :   he   talked  of    the  de- 


(        38         ) 

structlon  of  "  the  last  ruthless  power  in  South  Africa,"^ 
forgetting  that  his  own  power  was  as  ruthless,  and  his 
methods  were  as  barbarous,  as  were  those  of  the  Zulu  : 
what  can  be  more  ruthless  than  stealing  another  man's 
land  ?  what  more  barbarous  than  massacring  the  in- 
habitants ? 

He  boasts,  that  he  went  into  Matabeleland  with  the 
support  of  every  religious  denomination  in  Mashonaland  : 
so  much  the  worse  for  the  religion  of  those  denominations  : 
they  were  wolves  in  sheep's  clothing  :  he  had  squared  the 
English  Episcopal  Church  by  a  grant  of  three  thousand 
acres  of  land,  as  was  stated  by  a  Missionary  in  his  Com- 
mittee room.  He  laughs  at  the  Aborigines  Protection 
Society,  and  naturally  so,  for  he  is  the  President  of  the 
Aborigines  Destruction  Society :  he  then  attacks  Mr. 
Labouchere,  but  that  gentleman  is  quite  able  to  defend 
himself,  especially  when  he  has  so  good  a  cause  :  he  calls 
Mr.  Labouchere  a  cynical  Sybarite :  he  might  as  well 
have  called  him  a  Crocodile  ;  at  any  rate  he  is  not  what 
Mr.  Rhodes  certainly  is,  an  unscrupulous  annexer.  He 
concludes  his  speech  by  drawing  a  vivid  picture  of  the 
future  United  South  Africa,  or  Africander,  Republic, 
as  hostile  as  possible  to  Great  Britain,  a  great  slaughterer 
of  the  indigenous  population,  and  a  compound  of  Anglo- 
Dutch  adventurers,  with  a  mixture  of  Griqua  and  other 
half  castes,  men  with  Hottentot  mothers.  It  would  be 
better  far  for  Great  Britain  to  let  the  Colony  depart,  and 
do  her  own  dirty  work  of  Slaughter  and  Plunder.  .As  it  is. 
Great  Britain,  in  the  eyes  of  the  civilized  world,  covers 
herself  with  shame  with  no  intention  on  her  part,  and  no 
possible  advantage,  in  order  that  a  sucking  Republic  may 
extend  its  boundaries. 

Mr.  Rhodes  speaks  contemptuously  of  "  little  England"  : 
like  a  bad  bird  he  fouls  his  own  nest,  if  he  be  indeed  of 
English  blood  :  his  tastes  savour  more  of  the  Zulu  and 
the  Hottentot,  with  a  streak  of  Ashanti  :  he  poses  not  only 
as  a  Colonist,  but  a  Prophet,  and  predicts  great  things 
for  the  marvellous  country  of  the  Matabele.  No  doubt  the 
prophets  in  attendance  on  Sennacherib  and  Nebuchadnezzar 
made  similar  utterances  in  the  ears  of  their  monarch. 
Mr.  Rhodes  baited  his  trap  for  his  friends  at  Cape  Town 
by  promising  the  sole  trade  of  Matabeleland  to  the  Dutch 
at  the  Cape,  forgetting  the  lateral  railways  to  the  Eastern 
Coast,  and  possible  access  to  the  Zambesi.  We  hear 
nothing  in  his  speech  of  the  poor  dear  Mashona,  for  whose 


(       39       ) 

sake  the  war  was  ostensibly  undertaken  :  they  will  soon 
be  working  in  the  Africander  gold  mines,  and  going  the  way 
of  the  poor  wretched  indigenous  inhabitants  in  the 
Spanish  Colonies  in  South  America.  He  then,  in  his 
Colossal  style  of  eloquence,  talks  of  being  at  Blantyre  on 
the  River  Shird  in  six  months,  and  before  we  know  where 
we  are,  at  Uganda  on  the  Equator ;  and  if  he  be  unable  on 
this  occasion  to  exterminate  the  Mahdi  and  his  Dervishes 
of  the  Sudan,  and  then  open  the  Basin  of  the  Nile,  he 
will  turn  off  to  Mombasa  :  the  advantage  of  telegraphic 
communication  over  land  is  not  obvious,  when  there  are 
sea-cables  available.  At  any  rate  he  will  cease  to  be 
South  African,  and  be  entitled  to  the  full  title  of 
Africanus. 

He  then  enters  on  the  subject  of  managing  natives  :  he 
(Rhodes)  is  the  native  Minister,  and  has  under  his  control 
1,200,000  souls  :  he  points  out  how  the  destruction  of 
Lo-Bengula  will  enable  him  to  deal  "  thoroughly "  with 
the  Pondo,  and  other  tribes,  as  Strafford  dealt  with  the 
Irish.  One  Act  of  Murder  and  Plunder  will  follow  another, 
till  the  white  man  reigns  alone  :  it  does  not  enter  into  his 
calculation,  whether  God  will  permit  the  extermination  of 
all  his  poor  black  children.  He  calls  himself  unselfish,  but 
the  pronoun  "Ego"  governs  all  the  words  in  his  sentences  : 
he  is  the  man,  who  is  to  leap  over  many  fences  :  he  is  the 
man  who  is  to  add  to  his  present  titles  of  "  Colossus,"  and 
"  Bloody  Red  Hand,"  the  title  of  First  President  of  the 
South  Africander  Republic.  Do  such  men  live  to  work 
out  such  dreams  ?  Washington  was  a  man  of  a  totally 
different  type  :  he  never  slaughtered  Red  Indians,  or 
confiscated  their  lands.  This  "  petit  Napoleon  "  has  more 
of  the  spirit  of  the  Attila  and  Genghis  Khan,  who  piled  up 
pyramids  of  skulls  outside  City  walls.  There  is  an  island 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  of  which  Toussaint 
L'Ouverture,  a  negro  slave,  got  possession,  and  allowed 
no  whites  in  the  Island  ;  but  it  did  not  answer ;  nor  will 
Mr.  Rhodes'  policy  of  having  no  blacks  in  South  Africa  be 
carried  out.  The  Negro  Races  of  Central  Africa  are  in- 
creasing in  number,  and  the  law  of  territorial  expansion  will 
apply  to  them  as  well  as  to  the  white  Colonists.  Already 
the  Native  labour-question  is  coming  to  the  front :  it  is 
admitted  that  native  labour  in  South  Africa  is  the  dearest 
in  the  world.  The  slave  can  be  made  to  work  :  the  free 
African  is  described  by  a  Bishop  as  wishing  to  live  like  an 
idle  gentleman. 


(        40        ) 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Conclusions. 

The  writer  of  these  lines  possesses  a  general  knowledge 
of  the  whole  of  Africa,  the  result  of  a  quarter  of  a  century's 
close  observation,  perhaps  unsurpassed  by  many  :  others 
may  know  a  corner  of  the  great  patchwork  better,  but 
nothing  of  other  portions.  It  is  some  slight  qualification 
to  have  watched  for  many  years  the  proceedings,  as  regards 
Africa,  of  French,  Spaniards,  Portuguese,  Germans,  Italians, 
and  English,  as  narrated  in  their  own  language  by  their 
own  people  :  each  nationality  is  most  satisfied  with  the 
conduct  of  its  own  countrymen,  and  highly  critical — often 
bitterly — of  the  proceedings  of  other  Nationalities.  In 
considering  the  interests  and  sufferings  of  this  God-for- 
gotten Continent,  the  writer  has  no  prejudices,  or  partialities, 
of  Nation,  Language,  Religion,  Civilisation,  Politics,  or 
Commerce  in  his  opinion  :  what  is  morally  right,  is  right : 
what  is  morally  wrong,  is  wrong,  whether  the  actors  of 
the  particular  drama  be  French  or  English,  Negro  or 
Bantu,  Mahometan  or  Roman  Catholic.  All  his  special 
knowledge  of  these  unhappy  transactions  is  derived  from 
the  Blue  Book  of  November,  1893,  the  Debates  in  Par- 
liament, and  the  Pages  of  the  Tunes.  He  has  heard,  that 
a  Daily  and  Weekly  Paper  have  violently  attacked  the 
Company  on  the  financial  as  well  as  political  side,  but  he 
has  not  seen  them,  or  cared  to  do  so.  They  may  have 
possibly  been  dictated  by  commercial  rivalry,  pique,  or 
personal  rancour.  He  has  never  seen  any  one  of  the  actors 
in  this  lamentable  drama  ;  he  has  no  shares  or  interests  ; 
or  knowledge,  of  any  African  Company,  and  no  relation  or 
friend  who  has  shares  or  interests.  He  is  not  blaming 
those,  who  have  interests  ;  he  is  not  aspersing  the  characters 
of  the  Companies,  of  which  he  does  not  even  know  the 
names.     In  the  words  of  Horace — 

"  Sunt  qui  non  habeant :  est  qui  non  quaerit  habere." 
He  is  entirely  free  from  prejudice  or  partiality,  but  he  stands 
up  for  the  Native  Races  against  Governments,  against  the 


(        41        ) 

white  man,  against  Missionaries,  and  indignantly  rejects 
the  idea,  that  any  white  man  has  a  right  to  lord  it  over 
the  black  man,  whether  he  comes  as  a  Traveller,  a  Mer- 
chant, an  Emigrant,  or  a  Missionary.  He  is  obliged  to 
speak  plainly  upon  this  subject.  The  Albocracy  of  the 
age  is  terribly  heartless.  The  utterances  of  Lord  Ripon 
and  Sir  H.  Loch  are  worthy  of  all  praise.  Not  much  con- 
fidence can  be  placed  in  the  reports  of  the  agents  of  the 
Company.  They  were  neither  Soldiers,  nor  Political 
agents,  nor  experienced  administrators  of  Civil  affairs  : 
their  existence  depended  on  their  commercial  success. 
The  officials  in  British  India,  when  placed  in  difficulties, 
have  no  fear  of  an  adverse  vote  of  an  Annual  Meeting  of 
a  Commercial  Company,  enraged  by  having  no  dividend, 
and  exasperated  by  a  call  for  further  payments.  The 
Indian  official  does  not  much  care  also  for  a  debate  in 
the  House  of  Commons  :  he  acts  from  Imperial  motives, 
according  to  his  orders,  and  for  the  good — as  far  as  he 
can  see — the  real  good,  of  the  great  Native  population, 
whose  interests  are  in  his  hands  :  he  detests  slaughter :  he 
has  no  slaughterers  of  mankind  under  his  own  orders;  he 
invites  no  shooters  of  big  game  to  help  him  :  and  he  has 
to  answer  to  the  Government,  if  he  call  out  the  Military 
forces  without  due  cause,  and  to  God,  if  he  misuse  his 
power  :  he  has  a  permanent  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his 
people.     Had  these  adventurers  any  interest? 

What  became  of  the  Colonial  power  of  Spain  after  the 
atrocities  of  Cortes  and  Pizarro,  after  the  wholesale  ex- 
tinction of  Native  Races,  the  plunder  of  National  wealth, 
whether  in  precious  metal  or  in  cattle  ?  In  the  Times  of 
November  24th  it  is  recorded  that  the  Company  captured 
1000  head  of  cattle. 

Is  the  present  political  position  of  South  America 
encouraging  ?  The  iniquity  of  the  Spaniards  reacted  on 
themselves  and  what  is  Spain  now  ?  It  was  not  the  fault  of 
Lo-Bengula  that  he  was  naked  and  barbarous :  so  was 
Khama  in  his  youth,  and  so  was  Khama's  father  in  his  old 
age :  had  Lo-Bengula  been  approached  by  conciliating 
Britons,  and  treated  as  Khama  was,  he  would  have  become 
what  Khama  is :  it  would  take  time,  longer  than  the 
Company  could  spare  !  the  process  would  not  give  a  good, 
or  an  immediate,  dividend  !  Khama  must  now  shake  in 
his  shoes  :  a  new  administrator  may  come,  a  new  turn  of  the 
wheel,  and  he  and  his  children  will  be  "  eaten  up  "  by  a 
new  Director  of  the  Company.     There  was  no  inequality 


(  42  ) 

of  force  in  the  contest,  no  display  of  gallantry  of  a  few 
against  many.  The  High  Commissioner  remarked  before 
any  attack  was  made,  that  mounted  men  and  machine 
guns,  if  properly  handled,  would  be  in  an  open  fight  equal 
to  many  thousand  Matabele :  and  so  it  proved.  When 
the  King  was  offered  the  instalment  of  his  pension 
of  ^1200,  he  promptly  refused  it,  saying  "that  he  would 
"  receive  no  more  blood  money,  as  it  was  the  price  of  his 
"  blood  "  :  so  it  was  :  the  rope  was  being  twisted  round  his 
neck :  he  found  out  too  late  that  to  let  in  one  European 
is  like  the  letting  in  of  a  stream  of  water,  or  rather  of 
blood  :  it  was  obvious,  that  the  difficulty  of  asylum  to 
refugees  would  arise.  No  Englishman  would  willingly 
surrender  women  and  children  to  certain  torture  and 
death,  and  to  refuse  this,  is  to  a  barbarian  Chief  an 
intolerable  wrong.  The  mistake  was  to  allow  such  a 
state  of  affairs  to  come  into  existence.  It  could  never 
have  happened  in  British  India,  or  even  Burma. 

The  High  Commissioner  deplored  the  sensational  Press 
telegram  sent  by  the  Company's  officers  to  Cape  Town. 
Mr.  Rhodes,  the  Prime  Minister  of  the  Colony,  declined  to 
interfere  :  in  fact  the  Company  was  blowing  up  the  fire  in 
the  furnace.  The  High  Commissioner  throughout  sincerely 
desired  peace  ;  "  the  sentence  of  Moloch  was  for  open  war." 
The  High  Commissioner  evidences  throughout  the  feelings 
of  a  responsible  Statesman,  ready  to  strike  at  the  last,  if 
he  were  compelled  ;  but  the  scratch-pack  of  Doctors,  gold 
diggers,  hunters  of  great  game,  were  desirous  to  "get  up 
"  a  row,"  as  it  is  described  in  the  Blue  Book,  and  they 
strove  to  form  a  public  sentiment  in  their  favour,  and  have 
succeeded. 

Sir  Hercules  Robinson,  an  ex-High  Commissioner,  with 
perfect  knowledge  of  the  circumstances,  expresses  his 
confidence,  that  the  Company  would  never  seek  the  ex- 
termination of  the  Matabele,  or  their  expulsion  from  their 
own  native  country :  but  Mr.  Theodore  Bent,  whose  only 
connection  with  the  Region  was  that  of  an  archaeological 
explorer,  in  the  words  quoted  a  few  pages  back,  recom- 
mends their  extermination  :  and  in  fact  they  have  been 
slaughtered  by  thousands,  and  Mr.  Bent  only  expresses 
the  feelings  of  his  friends  at  Victoria. 

In  one  of  the  telegrams  of  the  Blue  Book  we  read  the 
cry  of  Lo-Bengula :  "  What  great  wrong  have  I  done "  ? 
The  unlettered  barbarian,  with  a  range  of  ideas  limited  to 
South  Africa,  did  not  know  that  in  the  eyes  of  the  white 


(        43        ) 

man  on  the  war-path  the  possession  of  land  and  mines, 
even  by  an  angel,  would  mean,  that  the  owner  of  such 
wealth  was  doing  wrong  by  daring  to  exist  !  Fortunes 
have  to  be  made  by  daring  adventurers,  the  younger  sons 
of  needy  families  of  the  middle  classes  : 

"  Si  possis  recte  :   Si  non,  quocumque  modo  Rem." 
This  is  the  motto  in  all  climes,  and  ages,  of  the  Adventurer 
and  Colonist. 

As  late  as  August  17th,  1893,  Lo-Bengula  is  described 
by  the  High  Commissioner,  as  apparently  anxious  for 
peace,  and  doing  his  best  to  restrain  his  people,  and  protect 
the  lives  of  Europeans  at  Buluwayo.  On  August  i6th. 
Dr.  Jamieson  telegraphs,  that  there  is  further  evidence  of 
the  King's  "  lying  and  duplicity."  Clearly  there  were  two- 
distinct  categories  of  public  officers  :  the  High  Com- 
missioner desired  Justice  ;  the  Company's  administrators 
desired  Annexation  and  Plunder.  Lo-Bengula  sent 
ambassadors  more  than  once  to  the  High  Commissioner  : 
two  were  killed  on  their  journey  by  British  armed  men  ;,  one 
fell  seriously  ill,  and  the  delay  was  to  be  regretted  ;  but  no 
white  man,  such  as  Mr.  Moffat,  of  a  conciliatory  disposition^ 
and  with  a  knowledge  of  African  languages,  was  sent 
actually  to  the  King,  just  as  Sir  Mortimer  Durand  has 
been  sent  this  year  to  the  Amir  of  Afghanistan.  No  white 
man,  though  there  were  several  in  his  power,  was  killed 
by  Lo-Bengula  :  the  agents  of  the  Company  have  killed 
thousands  of  black  men  Lo-Bengula  never  interfered 
with  the  affairs  of  Be-Chuanaland,  Transvaal,  or  the 
Portuguese  Colony :  the  English  forced  themselves  into 
his  recognised  dominions,  coming  first  to  ask  for  con- 
cessions and  treaties,  and  having  secured  a  footing  killing 
his  subjects  with  all  the  air  of  men  fighting  for  their  own 
hereditary  possessions.  Imagine  the  English  concessionists 
of  the  Rio  Tinto  mines  near  Seville  in  Spain  turning^ 
round  on  the  Spanish  authorities,  and  driving  out  the 
King  of  Spain. 

If  on  one  side  Lo-Bengula  was  unable  to  control  his 
young  bloods  under  the  extreme  provocation,  to  which 
they  were  exposed,  it  appears  from  a  memorial  quoted  in 
the  Blue  Book  that  the  inhabitants  of  this  ridiculously 
mushroom  and  tiny  town  Victoria  placed  similar  pressure 
upon  the  redoubtable  Mr.  Rhodes  :  he  was  told  by  them 
pretty  clearly  in  July,  1893,  that  he  must  take  the  favour^ 
able  opportunity  once  for  all  of  settling  the  Matabele 
question,  i,e,  "  killing  them,"  and,  if  he  did  not  take  the 


(        44        ) 

initiative,  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  inhabitants  of 
this  goodly  city,  which  had  dropped  down  a  few  years 
back  in  a  foreign  and  independent  State,  were  determined 
to  take  the  matter  into  their  own  hands,  and  arrange  for 
compensation  for  their  losses.  The  agricultural  losses 
amounted  to  fifty  oxen,  two  hundred  and  eighty  sheep 
or  goats,  ten  asses,  and  fifteen  pigs,  and  for  losses  such 
as  these  the  slaughter  of  thousands  of  free  independent 
Africans  was  determined  upon,  the  prime  mover  of  the 
transaction  being  a  son  of  CEsculapius,  the  great  healer. 

No  more  iniquitous  arrangement  was  ever  made  than 
the  Partition  of  Africa.  The  different  gangs  of  land- 
grabbers,  hailing  from  Paris,  London,  Berlin,  or  Brussels, 
are  on  the  jealous  watch  of  each  other.  Men  are  cut 
down,  in  order  that  dividends  may  rise.  The  Twentieth 
Century  will  sit  in  judgment  upon  us,  as  we  judge  the 
Spaniards  of  the  Sixteenth  Century.  The  Roman  mob 
in  the  time  of  their  decadence  shouted  for  "  Panem  et 
^'  Circenses  :  "  the  cry  of  the  British  Speculator  is,  "African 
"  Skulls  and  Gold  Dust."  This  is  the  outcome  of  the 
Christian  benevolence  of  the  age.  The  British  Matron, 
reading  her  paper  at  the  breakfast  table,  remarks  that 
two  thousand  more  Savages  have  been  killed.  "  A  rise 
"of  ten  per  cent,  in  Mine  Shares,"  is  the  rejoinder  of  Pater 
Familias.  Geography  will  be  taught  to  the  rising  genera- 
tion in  lessons  of  blood.  Uganda,  says  the  teacher,  is  the 
place,  where  the  Protestant  British  Mission  slaughtered  the 
French  Roman  Catholic  Mission,  and  burnt  their  chapels. 
Matabeleland,  says  the  teacher,  is  the  country,  which  Mr. 
Rhodes  conquered,  and  divided  among  his  gold-digger 
friends,  driving  the  king  away,  killing  his  ambassadors, 
slaughtering  his  subjects,  and  confiscating  his  land  :  the 
teacher  would  then  delineate  the  geographical  features  of 
the  country  in  blood  instead  of  chalk. 

Mr.  Labouchere  in  one  of  his  speeches  described  it  as  a 
battue  rather  than  a  battle,  which  will  suit  the  taste  of  the 
authors  of  "  Great  Game  in  East  Africa,"  who  arrived 
opportunely,  as  well  as  Mr.  Selous,  the  great  hunter. 
Black  game  of  the  ethnological  Bantu  race  takes  the  place 
•of  Lions  or  Bears  :  and  poor  ignorant  Peasants  supply  the 
place  of  Pheasants. 

There  has  been  one  great  omission  up  to  this  date  : 
there  has  been  no  massacre  on  Lake  Chad  :  this  really  is 
a  casus  omissus.  The  Roman  said  proudly,  that  there 
was  no  shore  untinged  by  Roman  blood  :  the  Briton  may 


(       45       ) 

say,  that  there  is  no  Region,  or  Lake,  or  River,  in  Africa, 
in  which  he  has  not  shed  the  blood  of  the  unfortunate 
Native  Races.  Something  ought  to  be  done  for  the  honour 
of  Lake  Chad  !  Captain  Lugard  from  the  Lake  Nyasa 
and  Victoria  Nyanza  has  more  experience  of  lacrustine 
slaughter.  Dr.  Jamieson's  lancet  is  better  able  to  draw- 
blood  in  the  High  Veldt. 

I  never  saw  Mr.  Labouchere,  but  I  welcome  any  friend 
of  Justice  and  Mercy,  and  quote  his  words.  Mr.  Labou- 
chere addressed  his  constituents  at  Northampton  Town 
Hall  lately.  Referring  to  Matabeleland,  Mr.  Labouchere 
said  that  *'  he  had  never  seen  why  English  people  should 
"treat  Africans  as  though  they  were  not  human  beings. 
"  It  was  said  that  3,000  of  the  natives  had  been  killed  and 
"  wounded,  and  he  had  asked  where  were  the  2,000  wounded  ? 
"An  African  chief  called  Khama,  who  was  a  Wesleyan, 
"withdrew  his  troops  from  assisting  the  English,  because  he 
"  disapproved  of  the  way  the  English  were  carrying  on  the 
"  war.  Was  it  not  a  preposterous  thing,  that  the  English 
"  flag  should  be  disgraced  in  that  manner,  that  these  mere 
"stock-jobbing,  money-mongering  people  should  drag  our 
"  flag  in  the  mire  in  Africa,  and  that  they  should  kill  and 
"  murder  in  order  to  send  up  their  miserable  shares  on  the 
"  Stock  Exchange  ?  For  his  part  he  meant  to  stick  to  this 
"  question.  There  was  too  much  in  the  House  of  Commons 
"  of  turning  the  blind  eye  to  what  was  going  on  in  those 
"  distant  parts." 

In  this  unhappy  Matabdle  Scandal  all  traditional  feelings, 
customs,  and  moralities  are  reversed.  In  British  India 
the  Medical  Officers,  though  brave  men,  are  called  non- 
combatants  :  in  Africa  they  appear  to  take  the  command 
of  Military  expeditions  :  the  combination  of  syllables, 
which  make  up  the  name  of  this  particular  militant-medico 
recalls  that  of  one,  who  if  the  charge  against  him  be  true, 
is  the  greatest  criminal  of  the  Century,  as  an  eye-witness, 
whose  evidence  is  reported  by  the  greatest  of  African 
Explorers,  states  that  he  bought  a  little  negro  girl,  and  had 
her  cut  up  and  eaten  in  his  presence  in  order  that  he  might 
make  a  picture  of  the  incident,  a  sensational  sketch  for 
an  evening  paper.  The  conscience  of  British  Christianity 
refuses  to  give  credence  to  this  story,  but 

"  pudet  haec  opprobia  nobis 
"  Aut  dici  potuisse,  aut  non  potuisse  repelli." 
The   old   Greek   writers   tell    us,    that  Africa  had  always 
something  new  to  communicate  to  the  world,  and  so  it  is 


(       46       ) 

to  this  day.  The  Matabele  Scandal  has  a  quaint  novelty 
about  it,  because  there  was  a  pretence  of  benevolence  in 
protecting  the  poor  dear  Mashona,  the  maternal  relatives 
of  these  very  wicked  Matabele,  who  owned  a  territory  with 
auriferous  deposits,  which  were  coveted  by  the  Anglo- 
Saxon.  The  atmosphere  of  Africa  is  impregnated  with 
crime.  King  Mtesa,  and  Mwanga,  of  Uganda  could  not 
have  existed  in  Asia.  It  was  the  same  climatic  influences, 
which  made  them  so  cruel,  and  has  the  effect  of  making 
young  men  of  Great  Britain  sweep  away  the  restraints 
of  the  sixth  and  eighth  Commandments,  and  go  in  for 
Killing  and  Loot. 

Let  Great  Britain  pause  in  this  career  of  cruelty  and 
crime ;  let  the  Africander  Republic  rather  look  to  the 
history  of  the  United  States  of  North  America,  than  to 
the  examples  of  the  Republic  of  Mexico,  Peru,  and  the 
Argentine :  it  is  as  well  to  be  honest  and  merciful. 

My  pamphlet  will  perish,  as  it  deserves.  One  or  two 
copies  may  survive  on  the  shelves  of  the  Library  of  the 
British  Museum,  and  the  two  great  Universities,  to  record 
the  fact  that  there  were  a  few  voices  in  1894  crying  in  the 
wilderness  to  denounce  crime,  even  when  committed  by 
their  own  countrymen. 

February  ist,  1894. 


0?  THB        ^ 

fuSlVBRSIT 


i 


\,'yfi^''j^.^. 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN     INITIAL     FINE     OF     25     CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.00  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE, 


FEB 


«fiP 


DAVIS 

REc-D  l.^|erlib^RY  loan 

mi 


NOV  1     1972 

INTERUBRARY  LOAM 

FEB  ii  6  1982 


LD  21-50m-l. 


w^ 

vs^^sv 

«^^ 

,ya^ 

^^ 

1^^ 

g^ 

^^ 

^K 

^^ 

^ 

^^ 

^^ 

§m 

^^^^^¥^^^^^W 


